Shadow's Respite
by Iliya Moroumetz
Summary: Final Fantasy IV Chapter 6: The corruption of the best, becomes the worst.
1. Chapter 1

The battle between Cecil Harvey and his compatriots against the grotesque form of Zeromus left the many platforms and structures within the artificially created moon in shambles. Multiple platforms made of a glass like substance were covered with dust and shards from the vicious conflict. The once marvelous state of the Inner Moon was reduced to ruins as Cecil as his friends fought for their lives.

Bringing his sword to bear, Cecil swung the crystal blade into a wound just below Zeromus' jaw, only to be swept away by a massive claw and into the ground. As that same claw rose to strike Cecil down, a massive fireball, several shuriken, and a shining arrow collided with the joint, sending the limb off the arm and away to another part of the cavern.

Taking the initiative, Cecil leapt to his feet and charged, sending the tip his blade into the pulsating crystal in the middle of Zeromus' chest. At that same time, Kain's spear point and his body weight sent several hundred pounds of pressure into the beast's already unstable structure. Zeromus roared, flung Kain off his body with his left appendage and unleashed a shock wave that sent every one of the heroes every which way.

In spite of the massive force from the wave, Cecil stayed on his feet. His eyes suddenly locked upon the gash his sword had made a few moments earlier. A large pulsating organ made comprised of muscle tissue and crystal was now in clear sight.

Cecil then noticed that the immense creature saw he was still standing and it opened its maw once more and a searing white heat began to gather. In desperation, the paladin charged forward and dove underneath the blast as it singed his cape and took a few plates from his torso with it. Taking advantage of the momentum he had gathered, he rolled to his feet. With another charge, he aimed towards what looked like Zeromus' heart and using what little strength he had left, sent the tip of the blade straight through its surface.

As Cecil tried to move his sword around to cause more damage, he heard Rydia's distorted voice and proclaim in the language of the Summoners, "Esh Nahalu Boh Eran Bahamut!"

He looked up to see Zeromus' other arm try to knock him away. The paladin leaped backwards and nearly lost his balance as he dodged the half-decomposed limb.

Cecil got his balance back and charged once more as he heard Rydia command, "Attack!"

With a scream, Cecil drove his blade further into Zeromus' heart, not at all noticing that another pair of dangerous and bony hands emerged from other parts of its body with deadly intent. Cecil noticed the new pair of limbs and tried to pull his weapon out of Zeromus' body, but found his weapon lodged within a crystal chunk amid the muscle.

Without warning, a large clawed hand grabbed Cecil by the waist and using Zeromus as a springboard, Bahamut kicked himself away from his foe. Cecil turned to see his rescuer, only to see an enormous stream of light burst forth from the dragon's mouth and into the wound he had created.

Zeromus roared once more and as his body began to falter and come apart at the seams, a thought hissed maliciously in Cecil's mind, "Scion of Kluya, though you may have killed me... your victory is a hollow one."

Immediately after its message, the monster's heart burst and sent muscle tissue and a dark red substance around its base. Because the monster was no longer able to support its own weight, the entire structure of the monster seemed to collapse in on itself. Gallons of iridescent fluids gushed out of veins and glands before evaporating into nothing.

As Bahamut set Cecil down upon the ground and returned whence it came, all that remained of Zeromus was the fire of his hatred, cursing them verbally before burning itself out.

...

"It will be a very long sleep, are you sure of this?" the aged FuSoYa inquired of Golbez.

Nodding solemnly, the elder son of KluYa turned to follow the Lunarian to their place of slumber. Taking one last glance at Cecil, Golbez muttered, "Be wary, brother. The future will hold something neither one of us can foresee."

Cecil nodded in turn, for it appeared that Golbez also heard the final iteration of Zeromus before his disintegration.

Though he tried not to let it show, Cecil was saddened at the prospect of being separated from his brother once more. As a child, Cecil never knew Golbez. If anything else, he was a foster child of the captain of the guard. Growing up alone without any real family was hard on him. He always felt that there was someone that he called his father and mother, but the revelation that he had a brother was exciting. Yet, the truth had revealed itself in a most untimely and cruel fashion.

Cecil said nothing as his brother walked up the pathway leading to the resting chambers. He wanted to say something, anything.

A plea to stay behind so the sons of Kluya could set things right?

A slander for abandoning him three times?

An imploration to simply have a brother nearby?

Hope as Cecil would, the words never came as the last he saw of his brother was his black cape and off-white colored hair. Golbez never turned back for a last look...

...

The heroes returned to their home, the Big Whale was returned to its slumber, and life had begun to repair the damage done in the past year.

Damcyan, Fabul, Mysidia, and Eblan were reconstructed and repopulated with former and new residents.

As quickly as it came, one year passed. Then, another had followed suit; and another, and another, until it had been thirty years since the end of Zeromus.

Baron had grown exponentially, delving into new sciences and technologies. At one time, all that Baron comprised was a small castle and a town around its gates. Now, it had grown into a massive city, populated by tens of thousands. Its airforce, also grown, had taken it upon itself to protect the skies from pirates; for they too had mastered the art of the airships.

Towns had grown into cities and the population had exploded with the long lasting peace.

Yet, staying true to the eternal cycle of creation and destruction of civilizations, the peace was not to last.

...

Cecil thumbed through the last few pages of a journal he had written many years ago and marveled at how much had changed.

"Spoony bard... how did Tellah ever come up with that?" Cecil wondered aloud, reading over an entry recalling memories of the ruins of Damcyan.

His gaze then turned to the window that gave him an excellent view of his kingdom, covered with would most likely be the last snow of the season. Spring was coming and local soothsayers were predicting that the year for barley would be even better than last year.

He closed the book and placed it upon the shelf with the rest of the numerous journals he had kept over the years. Walking to the exit of his study, Cecil stopped and looked in the mirror Rosa had given him as a birthday present, fifteen years ago.

She had it specially prepared for him with a beautiful if unusual pattern that the borders were composed of. The pattern was arranged so systematically, the artist responsible thought he was carving another picture.

Returning to his reflection, Cecil noted that while he was never one to make a big deal about his vanity, he did like the way his hair held a lion-like appearance. Even in his old age, his hair and eyes never seemed to lose that immutable luster that contained the savvy and sincerity that had won him many friends and allies.

It was odd. He was near his fifty-fifth year and he didn't feel like a day over thirty. He was not the only one to notice this, for several physicians, healers, chemists, and scientists had traced this age-suppressing attribute to his father's alien heritage.

The news also presented some problems as well. A small political group in the higher classes of Baron distrusted him with a passion, simply due to his heritage. As hard as he tried to earn their trust and set aside their prejudices, they were adamant.

Cecil then frowned. Not even the Adamant armor that he nearly killed himself in acquiring was as hard as the hearts of the Baronian nobles.

Many years ago, Rosa had assured him that there was always going to be someone that didn't like you, regardless of what you did.

A knock from his door brought him out of his thoughts. A guard entered and said, "Sire, you have a guest."

Cecil blinked. Guests usually came into Baron with some big ceremony... unless it was a certain someone that despised ceremony and protocol. He smiled, "Send her in."

The guard nodded and a minute later returned with his guest.

Rydia Drake smiled as she opened the door. To everyone else's perception of time, she should have been in her early to mid forties, but due to her unique nature, she looked no different than a woman of twenty-eight. She still wore her usual emerald green dress and bladed lash at her side. The only thing that appeared to have changed was her hair, for it cascaded down to her waist instead of brushing over her shoulders.

Smiling back, Cecil held his fist to his chest and bowed, "Speaking for the royal family, Lady Drake, we are honored by your presence."

The High Summoner snorted, "Forget the formalities, Cecil. Or would you I rather start calling you 'highness'?"

Cecil's eyes rolled back, "Please, anything but that. I get called that so many times, I'm starting to forget what my name is."

Rydia started laughing as she stepped forward and embraced her friend. "How long as it been? Five years? Six?"

Walking past her to the hallway with his friend alongside, the king of Baron replied casually; "Five years, six years, what does it matter? Either way, it is good to see you again Rydia." The king's eyes widened suddenly in remembrance, "I was actually hoping you'd show up around now. My first grand child was born just last week and I just about ruined my friendships with everyone else by bragging about it."

Rydia snickered and remembered fondly the day that Rosa had given birth to her and Cecil's first child.

"Oh, how is Rosa? I would think that you two would still be together, even here," she gestured to the study.

Cecil's demeanor fell slightly. "Her mother passed away the other day and she took it rather hard. She's in her room right now, if you'd like to talk with her."

Rydia nodded, "I'll get a chance while I'm here." She turned to Cecil's study to see a portrait of all the people she and Cecil had met during the Crystal War.

The twins from Mysidia, Yang, Kain, Cid, herself, Cecil, Rosa, Edward, and even Gilbert were all present. They had declined having Tellah's portrait done, mostly out of respect for his memory. Yet, the most inadvertently humorous part of the picture was seeing the prince of Damcyan trying to look dignified, but just couldn't seem to match the bravado that Edge had.

Edge... Edward.

It saddened her every time that she saw him after she had returned from the land of summon monsters. For ten years, he had not only sought her heart, but her hand in marriage. She had to admire his persistence; but, she had no real desire to join society as it was. Every time that she returned to the land of her birth, it had changed and grown into something she couldn't recognize.

"You seem pensive, fairy," Cecil said casually. Her time among the summoned monsters and induction into their society had left her changed to the point where she seemed more fairy than human. Though she didn't enjoy being called that, she did make allowances for Cecil and his family.

Rydia blinked and sighed. "Sorry. It's just I find it harder to come up seeing everyone that I've grown to care about grow older while I constantly change."

Cecil nodded solemnly, "The rest of us feel the same way. We miss you, but we can't keep you here either." She appreciated the sentiment, but the words that she needed to hear were a bit too far for her at the moment.

"Have you ever found out exactly how time flows there? By all rights, if you aged around twelve years over a period of a few months, you should be either very old or long dead," Cecil asked.

Rydia could only shrug her shoulders. "If I judge time right, then I must have spent a decade trying to figure out how it all works. It flows backward, forward, and in some cases it stops. It's like time has a mind of its own there and considers me one of the residents."

Cecil began to smirk, "Edge would not be too happy if it happened to favor you."

The thought of the impulsive King of Eblan reacting like an overzealous teenager again made Rydia laugh out loud. She even remembered how he and Cid used to fight as if they were son and father, while they worked on the airship they commandeered from Golbez's forces.

With a smile, Cecil gestured to the door, "My study is getting far too stuffy. Would you join me for a short walk?"

Impersonating a lady of high class and wealth, she extended her hand and spoke in a snobbish voice. "Why, that would be most delightful."

...

Walking up to the turret's roof, both the king and his friend observed the snow falling gently as the last rays of sun vanished in the west.

By then, the mood had slowly matched the light as darkness began to creep across the land.

When Cecil was about to ask Rydia a question that had been in his mind for a while, Rydia interrupted with a statement of her own.

"Would you believe that I still wish we met under different circumstances?"

Now it was Cecil's turn to act surprised, but when he considered what they had been through, it wasn't at all surprising to hear her say that. "I believe it. And from time to time I think the same thing."

Rydia turned to her friend slowly. As strong as allies and friends as they were, that same sordid memory continued to burn in the darker recesses of their minds. Eternally dooming them both to knowing that they were both nothing more than a puppet and victim of Zemus' scheme.

"Forgive me for asking... but when happened when..."

Anticipating his question, Rydia turned to the dusk, "It seemed so sudden... so quiet. My mother tried to concentrate on cutting her link with the mist dragon so both of them could survive, but it was too late. All I heard was a gasp, then I turned and saw her fall to the ground."

Turning away, as if ashamed to face her, he said, "It happened very fast for Kain and me as well. We were trying to defend ourselves and we fought to save our lives. Yet, when I saw the dragon dissipate, I had a feeling that there was something else happening, but I was unsure at the time."

"Why are you bringing this up?" Rydia asked a bit too hastily.

The last time he brought the subject of her mother up, it ended in silence. He wanted to propose a memorial, but she considered it a painful reminder of what she had lost and had left silently. It was years before they were able to reconcile the initial conversation. With more time to give it thought, she realized that his proposal was more reasonable than she gave it credit.

Cecil's voice lowered to a whisper, "Because, tomorrow is thirty years to the day that it all happened. I wanted to do something that would give your mother the respectable memorial she deserved."

With a sad countenance, Rydia walked to Cecil and took his aged hand into both of her own. "I need to apologize too, for trying to hurt you. I never understood that an eye for an eye only leads to blindness."

She looked up to him and smiled a bit, "My mother was a very simple woman. She always loved beauty in simplicity. I think she would have preferred something like that."

The sadness in Cecil's eyes soon waned and he smiled back.

"Your highness!" a guard screamed as he entered the roof.

"What's wrong?"

"It's the queen! Something's wrong with her."

The guard escorted Cecil and Rydia to the central tower where Cecil and Rosa lived. Along the way, Rydia asked, "Cecil, is Rosa ill?"

The king shook his head, "I don't know," he turned to the guard, "What exactly is wrong with her?"

The guard shook his head, "I only know as much as you do, sire. All I was told is that the Queen was ill and I was sent to get you."

As they entered the room, it looked nothing like the orderly and well kept room they always had. Books were torn apart, glass littered the floor, and strange markings lined the walls in pure gibberish and scribbles.

Though Rosa had aged well during the intervening years, her face was enveloped in a snarl that belied the Rosa that Cecil and Rydia knew for many years. Her years as a white wizard and archer had left her physically and mentally healthy, but her present behavior spoke differently.

In the middle of the room, a maid and two guards struggled to keep the screaming queen calm, yet found no alternative except to restrain her. By the looks of it, Rosa had put up a fight, for the maid had a vicious bruise on her cheek and the guards looked like they too had taken a few blows as well.

"Unhand me! Let me go this instant or I'll have you all hanging from the gallows!" The guards tightened their grip on Rosa's arms, preventing her from moving, but it did not stop her from screaming and kicking. Rydia's gaze went back and forth to the struggling Rosa after seeing the mess.

"What's the meaning of this?" Cecil demanded, looking to the maid and the guards.

Scared to the point of hysteria, the maid replied, "Your highness... I just came in to turn down the bed when I saw the queen dancing as if to music, but there was none and making a mess. I tried to calm her down but she struck me. I had no choice, I had to call the guards."

Turning back to Rosa, Cecil saw his wife slowly calm down and her breathing slow. She looked up in confusion, first at the mess, then at everybody looking uneasily at her. "Cecil! What happened? I remember coming in to get a book, but then everything seemed to make no sense at all."

Cecil turned to the guards, "Take her to the infirmary, quickly. We have to find out what happened."

After Cecil gave her a reassuring hug and a kiss on her cheek, the guards took Rosa out of the room. Cecil noticed the maid ready to burst out crying from all the stress the last half an hour had put on her. Not needing another case like this again, he told the maid, "You go to a healer and get that cheek looked at."

The maid bowed and said, "I'm sorry, your highness, I just never seen anything like this before."

Cecil nodded, accepting her apology, "Don't worry, I don't know what's going on either. I'm not going to blame you for doing the right thing. Now go get yourself taken care of."

Gratefully, the maid bowed again and left the room.

Folding his arms, Cecil looked at the wreckage and racked his brain for a possible answer to what was going on. Rydia's voice diverted his attention, "Cecil! Come look at this!"

Rydia looked rather perturbed as she turned from the designs on the wall.

"What is it?"

"This isn't scribbling. From what I can tell, this is what happens when people are subjected to mental curses and hexes."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning, that the victim's subconscious is trying to call for help by identifying the curse. What we're seeing here is a message of some sort."

"What does it..." Cecil started before finding himself silenced by an echo in the darker recesses of his memory.

Zeromus. His angered final words were becoming apparent with Rosa's outburst. Then, there was the mirror in his study. It was all so clear! Why didn't he see it!? The scribbling was in the same pattern as the borders the mirror had.

As Cecil's heart beat loudly in his chest, he turned to Rydia slowly and asked quietly, "What does it say?"

Rydia noticed Cecil's apprehension and though she was slightly reluctant at reading the symbols, she continued,

'With time, I confide.

In the chink of armor I hide.

Behind your shield I abide.

I destroy thy self from inside.

Thy pain, I deride.

When thou knowest what I am... thou hast died.'

She turned to him and whispered, "This is a degradation curse."

It was never him Zemus cursed... it was Rosa.

...............

Cecil hurt all over.

His head most of all. How many rocks hit his head before the slide finally stopped? He didn't care to wonder, mostly because ignorance, in this case, was bliss.

Cecil lifted the face shield of his helmet and brushed off the smaller rocks and dirt out of his hair and face. However, lifting the faceplate was apparently not enough, so he lifted the helmet over his head to get the remaining rocks out.

A few swishes of his hair had gotten out the dirt, and with his general sight restored, he began to take in his new surroundings.

Surely enough, the remains of the town of Mist was nowhere to be seen. It was most likely, behind the newly formed mountains behind him.

In addition, Kain was nowhere to be found. He was sure that they were in close proximity to each other when the quake occurred. Even then, Kain would have been able to utilize his ability to jump high to evade most of the catastrophe until it subsided. And even then, Kain would not have abandoned him so easily... but the argument between them amid the flames of Mist suggested otherwise.

Sighing, he turned back to take in the view of the expansive desert ahead of him.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the inert form of the child that had attacked him and Kain. Pulling himself out of the rocks, he walked over to her location, knelt by her head and felt her neck for a pulse. Sure enough, she was alive, but unconscious.

Turning back to the newly formed mountains, he realized that trying to take her back to Mist would be pointless. The survivors would be most displeased with him for following the king's orders.

He then looked at the remains of the Bomb Ring with disgust, took it off, dropped it on a rock, and used the hilt of his dark sword to smash the remains so it would never be used again.

Turning back to the unconscious child, Cecil put his helmet back on, and gently gathered the girl in his arms.

Miles and miles of merciless sand and heat lay ahead for him and anyone foolish enough to try and traverse it unprepared. However, his was a lot that had no choice. Gathering the child in his arms a bit more comfortably, he started from what few trees at the foot of the mountain to Kaipo, the only oasis for in the northern deserts.

...

It had been at least a day and a half of trudging through the desert before a caravan from the town on its way to Mist had met them mid way.

"Good day, sir knight!" the caravan leader proclaimed heartily as soon as Cecil and the child he carried was in earshot. "What brings you to the middle of our dry and desolate home?"

Choosing his words carefully Cecil replied, "There was a landslide at Mist and now it's cut off from the rest of the world. Is there any way you can give us a ride to Kaipo?"

The heavyset driver looked at Cecil warily. "What is the meaning of the child you carry?"

"She was a survivor I found. I doubt I'll be able to make it in time for her if I don't get there sooner." Cecil prayed that the rider's glance at the child and then to him wasn't one of scrutiny. The last thing he needed on his conscience was having the child die before he had a chance to help her.

"How much Gil do you have on you?" he asked casually.

Thinking back to the purse that he still carried in his pack, he replied, "Around four hundred, I'd say."

There was a long pause as the driver drew a long breath and stroked his unkempt beard and moustache slowly. Time seemed to stop as Cecil's and the child's life now seemed to be in his hands.

"You'll go straight to Kaipo and no where else?"

Cecil nodded in reply.

"Very well, give me 90 Gil and you can rent a spare Chocobo. Take it straight to Kaipo and leave it in the stalls. If you want to continue you're going to have to pay an extra 60."

Cecil gave an audible sigh of relief as he gently placed the child beneath the shadows of a caravan cart, reached into his pack and eagerly placed the money in the leader's hands. After a quick handshake to seal the deal, he yelled to some of the fellow riders to unleash one of the spares and bring it to Cecil.

The Dark Knight gratefully accepted the Chocobo, gathered the child in his arms again, hopped onto the giant bird's back, and made his way towards Kaipo.

...

After dropping the chocobo off at the caravan's stall, Cecil ran as quickly as he could towards the inn. The child had not eaten for who knew how long and she looked as dehydrated as he was. Thankfully, the innkeeper was understanding of Cecil's plight and had allowed him a room on the bottom floor.

Placing the child on one of the beds, he went to a pitcher left by the innkeeper, poured some of the cold water onto a cloth, and placed it on the child's forehead. Hoping that she had not caught the dreaded Desert Fever, Cecil made sure to stay by her side for the next several hours to ensure that her temperature would lower now that they were in the shade and had water to drink.

Hours passed and the sun was beginning to set in the west as the child began to stir. Cecil had long since removed his helmet and half of his dark platted armor and put them aside. The heat by itself was bad enough; he didn't need to pass out from dehydration because of his dark armor.

"You're awake," Cecil whispered as he sat on the bed beside hers.

She looked around cautiously, trying to find something she could recognize.

Cecil answered the question that he was sure she would ask, "You're in Kaipo. A town by an oasis in the middle of the desert."

It didn't take the child long to realize that the one that sat across from her was the same man who had killed her mother. Her nine-year-old face turned sour and she turned away from him.

Cecil turned away, disparate that things had come to this, "I'm sorry, I had no idea that would happen."

The child didn't answer, nor would she.

He looked at her sadly and continued, "I was a soldier carrying out orders. I want to say that there's no dishonor in that, but..."

(What is dishonor then? Killing for a cause you know nothing about?!) A voice in the back of his mind hissed.

It wasn't the first time this... voice of sorts, hounded him. The instant that he was given his instructions to go to Mist, this voice was telling him that what he was doing was wrong. The moment he received his orders to retrieve the Crystal of Water from the Mysidians, the voice was telling him it was wrong. That same voice continued to tell him to turn back and abandon the bomb ring. Just tell the king that it broke and he couldn't accomplish his mission.

But no... Cecil had to be an obedient soldier and obey the words of his king, regardless of whether the assignment was right or wrong. So, whenever he was ordered to do something that went against his personal sense of morals, he always came up with a reason for it.

Never again! He recalled the heated argument he had with Kain back in Mist. At sword point, he made it clear to Kain that he would never again compromise that which he knew to be right because of loyalty.

He silently placed a glass of water by the headboard of her bed and started to walk out as the sun's rays slowly drifted into the evening. He paused for a minute to see her look back at him for a moment, and then turned back, all the while saying at the point of tears, "You killed my mommy... I hate you..."

...

Cecil then woke up, noticing that he had dozed off in the middle of another meeting. He looked up to see one of the ambassadors from another province of Baron located in the mountains to the north. Cecil considered himself fortunate that he had the foresight to read the precursory grievances that each member of the court listed in order to take care of problems in the kingdom.

Recently, a highly contagious disease had been running rampant in the towns far to the north and the ambassador had been demanding them to be quarantined. However, Cecil remained skeptical since this particular member of the court had no real love for the people he was to represent.

During the ambassador's filibuster, Cecil overruled him and said, "I understand your take on the situation, ambassador, but I will not allow the people to be caged like a bunch of animals. Until you can show me proof that this epidemic is worth fighting, I will not hear any more of this." Several other members nodded their assent as he continued, "I believe I also speak for the rest of the court when I say we should conclude for the day."

The rest of the diplomats voiced their agreements and parted ways within minutes. They would continue the procedures tomorrow, hopefully with better results.

Cecil pushed himself wearily off his throne and walked towards the entrance in the side of the throne room. "Nine whole hours of endless political rhetoric and we've accomplished nothing!" Cecil grumbled beneath his breath as he began to ascend the stairs to one of the battlements.

It had been three long days since Rosa's psychosis had been made known and, of course, the town had gotten word of it and there was a general unrest concerning the future of their well-loved queen.

"You should be given an award for surviving all that," said Rydia, appearing from the other hallway. She had several books in her hands and a look that gave her the appearance of being just as weary as he was.

Cecil smiled tiredly, "Thanks. But as far as I know, the worst is yet to come." He then noticed the books in her hand and remembered that she had spent the day in Mysidia with Palom and Porom in study of various curses. "Have you found anything so far?"

Rydia sighed, "Well, not much, but it may be something." Cecil nodded and then gestured for her to follow him up the stairs to his study.

"Besides the obvious fact of what it is, the twins and I were able to find out how it appeared. Have you ever heard of a Trapper Hex?"

The King shook his head.

"It's part of higher level curses that makes it hard to find. The reason why most can't find it is because it's always in a dormant stage unless it comes into contact with a trigger of some sort. Then the trap is sprung and what ever curse the hex is linked to, activates as though there were no defense against it."

"What kind of triggers have you found so far?"

"Well, usually, the trigger can be something the victim ate, breathed, any number of things. But since this is a mental curse we are dealing with, the answers have thinned out a bit."

"You mean to say that this curse could have waited until she grew this old and then struck?"

The High Summoner shook her head, "No, time hexes are far too simple and easy to find. A curse of this sort needs a powerful trigger for it to activate. And since mental energies are not as great as physical, the twins and I have come to the conclusion that some sort of emotional distress must have been the trigger."

"Emotional distre... oh no... Rosa's mother," Cecil held his hand to his face. Janice Farrel's passing had been the catalyst that lead to her daughter's current predicament.

Before Cecil could complain, Rydia continued, "It gets worse. The curse Rosa has possesses a tendency to place the victim in a peculiar bipolar psychosis. A long time ago, it was used by combat mages to bring confusion to their foes. However, shortly after it was developed, it was destroyed after a disastrous failure in a decisive battle between Crescant and the Ancient Fiend of Fire, Kary. Evidently, the fiend reverse-engineered the spell and used it on the army sent to defeat her."

The aging King held his hand against the wall and asked quietly, "Any cures?"

She shook her head again, "None yet. There were only three of us in that massive library and the Mysidians have probably chronicled hundreds of books about curses."

Shocked, Cecil turned back to Rydia, "Only three of you? What about the rest of the scholars? Why didn't they help you?"

Rydia's demeanor turned resentful, "Most of the Mysidians don't consider me one of their own. It's the reason why the Summoners and the Mage Guilds never really worked in tandem with each other. There was always some sort of disagreement that went on until the Summoners went into hiding at Mist. I won't bore you with the details, but suffice it to say that Summoners and Mages, save for the twins and a few others, don't get along very well."

Now it was Cecil's turn to sigh, "Not again...." There had been a rather strong anti-Baronian sentiment going around during the Crystal War and it took some time for it to die out. Yet, there seemed to be a resurgence of the old hatreds because of some malcontents that never learned to forgive Cecil for his actions many years back.

Just another thing to worry about.

Rydia seemed hesitant with what she wanted to ask, but continued nonetheless, "How's Rosa doing?"

"Come see," he said darkly, knowing all too well what was to greet Rydia.

Within minutes, they went to the far tower, with two of Cecil's most trusted guards standing outside the door.

They both bowed to their king and the superior of the two said with a dejected countenance, "There's been no change, sire. She continues to scream and rave."

Cecil nodded, "Open the door, I want to see her."

Rydia stood aghast. She could understand the need to keep one under a curse as serious as this under close watch, but to confine someone to a room like a prisoner was counter-productive.

Cecil seemed cold and apathetic as he and Rydia walked into the room beside the next door to Rosa's room, "I know what you're going to say, Rydia. But I have no choice."

To Rydia's surprise, Cecil lifted up his tunic and shirt to reveal several bandages, caked with blood long since dried.

"Yesterday morning, she continually screamed to use Meteo upon me. Since she could not muster the power to kill me with magic, she stole a dagger and nearly killed me..." his frown grew as he tucked his shirt and tunic back, "...all in Zemus' name."

Rydia nearly dropped the books she held in her hands. The situation had been worse than what she previously thought.

Cecil then pointed to a look space in the next door. "Look in there."

She wondered what was worse, seeing Cecil become as cold as the stone in this castle or seeing what Rosa was going through.

Placing the books on a chair, she walked slowly to the peek space and peered in slowly, expecting something to leap at her, but found nothing.

All she saw were the same patterns written on the white walls over and over again. In every possible color, size, and picture, everything was covered with those same cursed symbols.

In one of the corners, she saw Rosa... or what remained of her. She had long since been restrained in a straight jacket, her hair was matted and dirty, and the way she was chuckling gave Rydia the chills.

"Lord Zemus shall be elated... they'll all die..." Rosa repeated over and over in a voice that was nothing short of psychotic.

She turned back to Cecil to see his depressed countenance, "She's been like this ever since?"

He nodded, "The intervals of her being sane are getting shorter and shorter. It was in the middle of last night that she was sane last and I couldn't be there for her."

Rydia didn't need to guess how Cecil was feeling. Though still a paladin, he was beginning to look like a sad old man who lived by himself. He missed her company dearly and the stress of the past few days were taking their toll on him.

Rydia set her books down on a chair, walked up to her friend, and held his larger frame as gently as she could.

"Cecil! Cecil, are you there?" Rosa cried within the room.

In an almost panicked state, Cecil opened the door and walked in as calmly as he could keep himself. Rydia walked in after him, noting that Cecil either didn't know or care about the writings on the wall.

She looked to the king and queen and found them locked in an embrace. Padding next to Rosa, Rydia knelt down beside the queen and tried her best to smile for her friend. At the moment, Rosa, now freed from her jacket, locked her arms around her husband's shoulders.

"I'm scared, Cecil. I see all the horrid things I'm doing and saying, but it's not me. All I can do is watch it as it happens," Rosa sobbed on Cecil's shoulder.

"I'm scared too, Rosa, but we're not giving up and neither should you," Cecil said, trying to maintain his confidence and composure for her.

Rydia then added, "The twins and I are working as fast as we can. You can count on us finding a cure."

Rosa then turned to the High Summoner and smiled sadly, "I'm sorry your visit had to fall on such unfortunate circumstances."

Rydia returned the smile and said, "So do I. I haven't done this much studying since I first went to the Land of Summoned Monsters." She reached forward and gently held her friend's shoulder and continued, "But for you and Cecil, I'd be willing to go through it again."'

Rosa's face brightened, "Thank you. I appreciate everything that you've done for us."

"Don't worry, Rosa. Now, if you'll excuse me, I got to get to my room so I can keep studying," Rydia said before letting out a chuckle. She then stood up and proceeded to leave the king and queen and inform the guards of what was going on.

"Lady Drake," the younger guard said pensively, "Please, do you really think there's hope for the queen?"

Rydia turned to the nervous guard, paused for a minute, and reply quietly, "I don't know... all I can tell you to do is pray. I want her to live as much as you and the rest of Baron does, but there's really no way of knowing."

The guard bowed to her and then walked with his superior to watch over the heads of the royal family, leaving the summoner alone with her thoughts.

...

Elsewhere, in the darker recesses of the castle, a pair of shadowy figures was conversing. One seemed clearly elated.

The taller of the two chuckled darkly, "This is just too perfect. With the royal family out of the way, what's to stop us from taking over?"

His compatriot whispered, clearly nervous, "Baigan, you can't do this!"

Not caring about his friend's scruples, Anthony Baigan flicked his friend's nose and chuckled darkly, "No taste for blood, eh? It looks like Cecil's influence has taken the animal out of you."

Angered that he was regarded as such, Anthony's friend continued, "But what if we're discovered?"

The captain of the guard snorted at the thought. After all, his father was able to become the captain of the guards with every dirty trick to keep his foes out of the way and keep himself blameless. Subterfuge was practically part of his family. "Listen, tensions between Baron and the Mages Guild and Mydsidia in general are at an all time high." With a sinister smirk, he placed his hand on his friend's shoulder, "What if, say, for example, something was to happen to the royal family? With a Mysidian-made firebomb?"

Comprehension dawned on the companion's face, "A terrorist act?"

"Of course! Get the family in one place after the upcoming talks, place a time bomb, and watch their bones burn to cinders! All the malcontents in Mysidia will take the blame," Anthony hissed as though he was recollecting a most pleasurable experience.

"That's risky."

"Maybe... but once they're out of the way, the Alliance will die. With the support of the nobles behind me, the kingdom is as good as ours."

Turning every which way to make sure no one was within earshot, he asked quietly, "What about the summoner?"

Baigan smiled, draped his cloak over his head and started to walk out. His voice was low, raspy, and held the countenance of a wolf on the hunt as he reassured his compatriot.

"Leave her to me..."

End of chapter 1


	2. Chapter 2

Rydia stirred from beneath the covers to see the sun's light through the window in her room. She was still in Kaipo and with that awful man that had killed her mother. Right beside her bed, the glass of water still sat untouched. Right beside the glass, there was a small plate with some local fruits and vegetables. She peeked around to see that man was gone.

Throwing the covers off, she took the glass eagerly and gulped it down as fast as she could. She couldn't remember the last time she had a drink of water and this single glass of oasis water and fresh food was a blessing.

With a sigh of relief, she placed the glass back on the table and began to wonder what she was to do now. She couldn't run away, she was in the middle of the desert with no money and all she had was the clothes on her back.

"Hey, handsome."

Rydia turned her head to the window to see that man speaking with a woman. The man also appeared to not want to speak to the woman, and Rydia figured the stinky pipe she carried with her was a reason. Also, she wore some odd clothes that didn't really cover much of her legs.

"What?" Rydia heard from the black knight. Judging by the terse nature of his voice, he didn't want to speak with her.

"Whoa, calm yourself, big guy. It's only midday, I don't work until evening." She sat beside him and while leaning away from him, smiled and continued, "Unless you're willing to pay the daytime price."

Rydia wondered what she was talking about. Was she a storekeeper that didn't work in a store? She leaned against the wall and listened to the conversation.

"Look, I don't feel like talking with you. Could you please leave me alone?"

"Be nice if I could believe you, hon. Everyone needs to let out what they feel inside, and if gossip's right, your friend doesn't feel like listening."

The black knight frowned back at her, "What would a joy girl know? All that matters is how much gil your customers got in their purse."

The 'joy girl' exhaled a puff of smoke and frowned, "The name is Nina, sweetheart, and despite what you think, my line of work lets me know all the good stuff about everyone. And at least, gives me a decent idea about how people think."

The black knight rolled his eyes, "Oh please. If I wanted to talk to someone about my problems, I'd talk to my friends."

Nina snorted and quipped, "And you don't seem to be the kind that would tell even your girl about things that bother you. I can read you like an open book, you got some things you don't want to tell anyone. Not your friends, not your girl, no one." She folded her arms and continued, "That's sad, hon."

"I doubt you'd have any problems with loyalty and personal ethics."

Taking another puff from her pipe, Nina sighed, "I did at one time. I was as loyal as any dog... and what did that get me? Stranded in the middle of the desert in this place, ostracized, and all I got is money to keep me company. Reality doesn't have room for ethics, you take what you can when you can. But if you still got a hold on what you know is right, don't you dare let go."

Nina looked away, she had a very sad look on her face. "I did."

The black knight looked back to her with empathy. Rydia hunched down again to make sure he didn't notice her. Yet, she crept up to the bottom of the window to hear more clearly.

"It'll cost you heavy in the long run, but, as the story goes, it'll be worth it," Nina said without her previous bravado.

The knight nodded once, "Thanks."

With no warning, Nina threw her arm over his neck and said with a larger smile, "Now that we got that out of the way, wanna conduct some business?"

The knight tossed her arm off of his shoulder and stomped away.

Nina shrugged and started another huff from her pipe. "Whoever his girl is, she's lucky."

Rydia still wondered what Nina did for a job as she crawled back to her bed. Yet, what preyed on her mind more were the black knight's answers. She had a feeling that he was feeling bad and it wasn't his fault. It never occurred to her that maybe he didn't want to do what he did.

She crawled beneath her covers and let the dry air, a full stomach, and a gentle breeze lull her to sleep.

...

A loud crash woke Rydia and the knight as they heard the doors to the inn kicked open. Both of them looked to the door to hear the innkeeper speaking with someone. From a hole of the sheets, she saw the knight leap out of his bed and grab his sword. He stood between her bed and the entrance and wondered why he was doing that when the door to their room opened and several men in armor barged their way in.

"General? What are you doing here?" the knight asked, utterly confused.

"Cecil Harvey, we are here to check up on your progress on your mission. Have you delivered the ring to Mist?"

With a frown, Cecil nodded, "Sadly, it worked a little too well. There was only one survivor that I could find."

"We know. We carry orders from the king. You are to stand down and let us take the girl."

"What?! You can't be serious! She's still a child."

"The king has decreed that the summoners of Mist are far too dangerous an element to be left alive."

"With all due respect, sir, they did nothing to us."

"Regardless, the king's orders stand. Stand aside if you wish to return to your former post."

The black knight stood his ground. "Forget the post. I'm not letting you hurt her."

The general then frowned in turn, "You do realize that doing this will brand you as a traitor in the eyes of the king."

"I'm aware of that." Cecil drew his sword calmly and made it quite clear he was not letting them pass.

"It saddens me to hear that, Harvey," he turned to the five soldiers with him, "Kill them."

Taking them by surprise, Cecil charged and sent all six of the men out through the door. Rydia, not wanting to see anymore, crawled out of the covers and scrambled beneath the bed where she saw one soldier fall by Cecil's sword. She peeked through her fingers and heard the sounds of battle and another one of the soldiers fell down, never to stand up again. Rydia was scared. She hated swords, the metal clangs, the blood, everything related to it.

However, the clangs ceased and soon after, the dark knight returned. From what she could see, he was limping. The soldiers had not gone down without a fight and Cecil's wounds were proof of that. He held his left arm tightly as blood seeped from several slash marks that would have been prevented, had he been wearing his armor.

A small arrow protruded from his right calf and the blood from the wound, stained his pants. With a pained groan, he slowly pulled the projectile out and dropped it.

As he collapsed on his bed, his sword landed on the ground with a loud clang and Rydia took quick notice of the blood on it. She retreated to the other side of the bed and crawled over the top to see Cecil looking through his bag for something.

Almost on instinct, Rydia crawled over the bed, sat on the edge, pointed her small hands at Cecil's wounds and whispered, "Cure."

Cecil looked up as several small motes of light emerged from her hands, hovered for a second between them and slowly, like a curious moth to a flame, drew near to Cecil's wounds. One of the spheres hovered near the cuts, as if it were examining them. Then the rest of them flew to the wounds and exploded into small lights, which closed the cuts in a matter of seconds.

Cecil let go of his arm and looked to her, "Thank you." His voice was still contrite, but grateful.

Rydia noticed this and nodded, accepting his thanks. They both remained still for a moment until Rydia whispered, "You saved me."

"I had to. What I did was bad enough and those men were going to finish what that wretched ring started." He started shaking his head, "No pardon is worth a life."

Though Rydia couldn't understand everything Cecil was going through, what she could gather was that Cecil was in enough trouble already. Now, because he protected her, he was in worse trouble than before.

Without another word, Cecil turned around and lay on his bed, slowly returning to sleep. Rydia, keeping her gaze locked on his form, crawled off her bed and slowly walked over to his bed. Along the way, she paused for a moment, before continuing to the edge of his bed.

A sniff brought his attention back to the child as he saw her standing with her little hands clenched beneath her chin. The moonlight coming from the window made her small plat of green hair shine like emerald, but what caught his attention was the tears gathering in her eyes.

He threw his covers off and sat on the side of his bed, wondering what was wrong. She started to sniff as the tears welling up in her eyes started to overflow. It just occurred to Cecil that the poor child never had a chance to say good-bye to her mother.

The child's mouth started to quiver as the tears finally fell from her eyes. Then, she dashed forward and threw her small arms around Cecil's waist. His shirt muffled her small wail as her tears began to soak the fabric.

All the while, a voice in Rydia's heart, which sounded a lot like her mother's, was telling her one thing.

This man was not her enemy.

Repeatedly, she cried, "Mama!" as much as her breath would allow her. With a sad countenance, Cecil reached down and slowly lifted the little girl onto his lap and placed her head on his shoulder. She didn't struggle, only sobbed as she placed her arms around Cecil's neck. He used one arm to support the child and the other to stroke her hair, hoping to calm her.

Her weeping continued for a few more hours before she fell asleep. When her breathing had finally settled, he slowly placed her small body on the bed beside his pillow. Making sure to move slowly to not wake her, he moved the covers up to her neck.

It appeared now that he had a child to take care of. He was only twenty-one years old and now he was a father to an eight-year-old child... due to an unfortunate set of circumstances.

...

Rydia woke with a start, her head resting on her arms while atop a large book of Mysidian lore. Rubbing her eyes, she wondered where that dream came from as she noticed Porom descending one of the ladders near the desk she sat at. Rows upon rows of shelves of books towered over them all as Rydia recalled where she was spending the past week.

Turning to her, Rydia asked, "What time is it, Porom?"

The twin frowned and snapped, "If I were my sister, I'd tell you 'it's just before dusk'. But since I'm not, I can't."

Blinking, Rydia leaned in closer to see that she had mistaken Porom for Palom... or was it Palom for Porom? Embarrassed, Rydia apologized.

The younger of the twins sighed, "For most of my life, I have been mistaken for my sister more times than I care to admit."

Rydia chuckled at his confession. Though in his forties, the male twin had still retained some of the effeminate physical characteristics shared with his sister, though not the personality.

"Are you still going to be here? Most everyone else has gone home for the day," he asked, placing a few of the books on his own desk.

She nodded, "Yes, I'd like to wait until the children from the academy are too bored to wait for me to come out."

Palom snorted at the reminder. The source of Rydia's grief came in the form of several teenage mages, nearly graduated from the Mysidian Academy of Magic, who felt that her presence in their home was a curse because of the ancient wars between the summoners and the mages.

They were born in an era where the Crystal War was history. In addition, with monster attacks at an all time low, one could comment that the current generation had become decadent.

"Knowing their attention span, they've probably left already. But just to be safe, I'll check."

Rydia nodded in appreciation as he left to the front of the building. Returning to the book in front of her, Rydia found herself drawn into the world of Mysid and Mistahn, the arch-mages of Crescent, the lost magic civilization. On the assumption that the curses they faced were connected to the ones now, she had brought several of the chronicles and had gotten through at least two of the ten massive books.

Rydia frowned as she read another diatribe about Mysid's opinion of summoning creatures. According to the arch-mage; theoragy, the magic used to summon monsters, was a very unstable and unpredictable energy source. There were many unknown creatures in the other worlds the summoners called from. In some cases, a powerful monster could gain control over a summoner and wreak havoc in the world. Nowhere did she find any kind of refute from Mistahn.

It was bad enough to face the result of prejudice among an allied nation, but even in the past, there was no respite for her. Most of the books she had found were from Mysid's perspective and often downplayed Mistahn's importance. Worse, some of the information about the summoners was incorrect, and judging by the wording, they were written in anger and more likely than not, false.

Queen Asura, having taught the summoners from Mist by word, had left little written record of the past. If Rydia could ever find the time, she would make sure that the survivors of Mist would get those records. When last she went to Mist, most of the summoners there could barely even summon Titan. And even then, their cooperation with the summoned beasts had only lasted for a short time. Atevi or master level summoners, a title that Rydia had still some time to reach, could summon monsters that not only commanded the elements, but went so far as to utilize the powers of time, space, and even the heavens and hells.

When she recalled asking Asura about some of those monsters that the masters could summon, Rydia received an answer she had not expected.

"They will come to you... and you may not want meet them when you do."

With her face on her palm, Rydia wondered why Asura would tell her something like that. Wasn't the point of summoners to learn the wisdom and earn the cooperation of creatures from other worlds? The last thing she needed was some cryptic hint that made it seem like a game.

Such were the times that Asura acted like her own mother when Rydia was impatient.

A snicker from behind caused Rydia to turn around. All she found was an empty library.

"Palom? Porom? Anyone there?"

She stood up from her chair and felt her hand instinctively reach her whip. Though she never had been through any major conflicts in the intervening years, the monsters in the underworld had gotten more ferocious. A quick dash brought her to the eastern end of the library and still no sign of others.

The snickers continued as Rydia followed the source, but still found nothing. Rydia recalled playing games like this when her mother called her in for meals, and it took her nearly thirty years to understand the grief she gave her mother.

The summoner's sense of magic tinged when she felt a distortion close to her location. In fact, it was right behind her. So, on instinct, she turned and flung the bladed spearhead attached to the tip of her whip behind her and into the wall.

Yanking it back, Rydia noticed a circular ripple that distorted her line of sight. Soon enough, the ripple vanished and the Rydia could sense nothing more. However, she did recognize the kind of magic being used. Chronogy, the magic of time, only this pulse was much stronger than a stop spell.

"Rydia! Where are you?" Palom's voice echoed throughout the room.

Blinking, Rydia walked to the entrance to find both twins looking frantically for her.

"What's wrong? I was here the whole time. Palom just left me here a few minutes ago."

Both twins looked aghast as the elder twin exclaimed, "You've been missing for two hours. It's already nightfall."

Now it was Rydia's turn to gape. She could understand how time could shift without warning in the land of summoned monsters, but in the middle of Mysidia? Time stop spells required a specific target and there was no wizard that could cast it on a single area. Even if they did, Rydia would have felt it affect her.

"Well, at least you are unharmed," the elder twin said.

"I didn't feel anything, Porom. Someone has the capacity to be able to cast a stop spell on an area and I was caught in it. As much as I want to blame those runts from the academy, something like this is way beyond their league."

With his arms folded, Palom mused, "I recall one of the guys in the guilds talking about creating a stasis field with using chronogy, but it was still in the experimental stages."

"Do you think that he may have made a break through and wanted to use me as a test subject?" Rydia asked with a frown.

Palom shook his head, "Not a chance. If he did get it to work, I would have known about it. Besides, he doesn't really care about old conflicts."

Leaning against a bookcase, Rydia sighed, "Well, it's nothing to really hurt ourselves over right now. I'm going to gather my books and head back to Baron."

"This is actually convenient since you're needed back there anyway," Porom added.

"How so?"

Porom looked to her brother with a slight bit of worry on her face before continuing, "Rosa has summoned you and sadly, it was not when she was sane."

Rydia groaned, "Can't you just tell her I died or something? I've been busy looking for a cure for her."

The younger twin shook his head, "That was already tried, but she didn't buy it."

Massaging her temples, Rydia figured it would be best to just get this over with. So, picking up what books she could carry, she bid the twins farewell and started on her way to the Devil's Road, which could take her there in a matter of minutes.

As beautiful as Mysidia was at night, she couldn't help but feel slightly apprehensive about the town as a whole. Sure, it had grown and with many more mages, wizards, healers, and so on filling up the academy from all over the world, it was starting to grow into a very unique city. Still, it was some of the aristocratic wizard families that had never learned the lessons from the crystal war, even after Cecil had fulfilled the prophecy of the paladin, which worried Rydia. Walking down the last step from the main hall, she changed direction to one of the still prominent buildings that had not only survived the Crystal War, but all the years that followed. Out of respect for the one who had helped them create it, Mysidians old enough to remember the war maintained the Devil's Road for everyone to use.

Reaching the door, Rydia figured herself safe until she heard a very unwelcome voice, "What's wrong? Too tired to call one of your beasts to carry you?"

The summoner turned to see one of the primary sources of her agitation. Lana Klauser, a prodigy in the academy, but still learning nonetheless. Though she still was dressed in the red mage's garb for those skilled enough to learn both black and white magics, her pageboy haircut had shown a bit of her difficult attitude. And to think Rydia had her hair in a style very similar to hers a long time ago.

"Actually, monsters have a tendency to scare little children. I kept them away for your sake," Rydia retorted casually.

"Say what you will, beast whore. Just remember that this isn't your town," Lana growled.

Rydia's face then turned sour at the insult. Another misconception taken too far and used as a spark for the narrow minded to feed upon. Though the summoner kept her calm, Rydia could not help but indulge a fantasy of using a powerful mute spell on Lana so she could never use magic again. Or speak again for that matter. But why stop there? She still had her bladed lash. A few whips and Rydia could cut the wretch's throat open and tear her vocal cords out.

Rydia paused for a second to ponder what had just crossed her mind. That seemed far too extreme, even for a brat like Lana. So, she threw it aside and returned to the subject at hand.

Though she had gone through her teenage years in a drastically different way, she could still remember the unwillingness to cooperate with her teachers and even threatening to run away more than once. Then, a spark of indirect inspiration came.

"You're one to talk, little girl. Shouldn't you be in bed? Or were you just too busy doing something the Maesters would not approve of?"

Lana blanched and Rydia's smirk grew. "You... you wouldn't know..."

Feigning a sigh, Rydia continued, "It would be such a shame to get cast out of the prestigious Mysidian mage academy simply because a girl couldn't control herself. Why, what would her parents think? What would they do?"

Lana's fists and jaw were clenched and she looked like she was ready to charge. Yet, even then, Lana knew exactly what Rydia had gone through and wasn't ready to make such a scene. "I'm going to get you for this."

Unfazed, Rydia picked up her books and gave Lana a victorious smirk before entering the Devil's Road.

Though Rydia admitted to enjoying that little spectacle, she had no clue that Lana was fooling around. She never harbored any real belief in luck or chance, but it was certainly nice to have it on her side once in a while.

Standing upon the dais, Rydia felt herself vanish and flow through the current. It was helpful, but the harm that sometimes resulted made the trips more trouble than they were worth.

It was when Rydia felt herself nearing Baron did she begin to wonder about Mysidia. True, they had been through some tough times, but that gave them no right to treat her so badly. Maybe it was just the city bringing out the worst in her. Rydia mentally snorted at the thought.

As much as the haughty members of Mysidia were, her kinship to the twins and their families made every visit worth it. After all, were it not for them, Cecil and the others would have never made it out of Baron alive while Golbez had taken control of the kingdom.

Within minutes, Rydia felt herself return to her normal state and exited quietly. The town of Baron had also gotten quiet at night recently. Rosa's condition was of the primary concern and Rydia noticed that most of the people were either in their own houses or at some spot offering a prayer to the heavens on Rosa's behalf.

She thought sourly at what Rosa had become and now she had to meet with her, and though she was tempted to let her steps move slower than normal, there was really little point in doing so.

...

Approaching the gate, she met the guards who cordially bowed to her and opened the gate. Walking past the doors, she noticed that the maids, butlers, and other members of the staff were still up and about, preparing for something else. However, she paid it no mind and trudged up the stairs to where Rosa was being confined.

If it were possible, she wanted to speak with Cecil for a minute concerning Rosa's present condition, but passing by the throne room, she noticed him busy speaking with several members of his committee. With a heavy sigh, she continued her trek upward and outward to the rear cloister of the castle.

"Oh, Lady Drake," a voice said in surprise. Rydia turned to see Cecil and Rosa's first son, Terrance emerging from his own study, "what brings you here?"

With a weary smile, Rydia answered, "Your mother summoned me. And I think it would best if you and some guards came with me."

Terrance asked, "Why would I need to do that?"

Rydia's smile grew as she walked to Cecil's son, tilted his head forward with her free hand and kissed his forehead. He was so much like his father. So guileless and trusting. Though he would have to make sure to know that the world is not as benevolent as he hoped, Rydia had a feeling that he would accomplish great things like his father.

"I'm kidding, Terrance. It's nothing. By the way, what's going on?"

The prince sighed, "We're preparing ourselves for the upcoming talks. We have to make sure that the representatives from the mage guilds are well taken care of."

Rydia snorted, "Not that they'd notice. They'd be too busy griping about their 'so-called grievances' about not being an autonomous state than the courtesy you guys planned for them."

"I hope not, we've been planning this for weeks. The staff has run themselves ragged trying to get this done while worrying about my mother."

Patting his shoulder, she grinned, "They'd better, or else they'd have to deal with me."

Terrance smiled back, "Thank you, Lady Drake."

Rydia frowned slightly, "Terrance..."

"Sorry, sorry. Thank you, Rydia."

"Much better."

As much as Rydia wanted to use Rosa's son as an excuse to keep from the meeting, the summoner knew she had to get this over with or else Rosa would be screaming bloody murder and the poor guards would get no peace.

Steeping slowly to the entrance to Rosa's chamber, she acknowledged the guards, who nodded in turn and opened the gates for her. With heavy steps, Rydia followed the first soldier in as the second closed the door behind them.

Rydia felt cold as the second door opened. The weather had nothing to do with the temperature, but instead the source seemed to originate from Rosa's stare into space. That is, until her eyes focused on Rydia.

Rosa had definitely lost weight last time Rydia saw her. Her straightjacket and trousers were filthy from lack of care. What stood out most were the eyes. Rydia recalled all too well how Zemus' eyes looked. One look could reveal the anger, resentment, and contempt of one trapped against their will. Those very same vicious and merciless eyes that Zemus once held were now in Rosa's face.

"So the wench finally shows herself!"

Whatever patience Rydia had built up over the last hour vanished in an instant. Whatever good fortune Rydia had in seeing Rosa in her right mind existed the last time she was here with Cecil. Bad enough the runts in Mysidia had a penchant for insulting her, but now this had to come up.

"Is there anything..."

"Silence! In no way did I say you could speak!"

Huffing, Rydia countered, "My apologies, your highness. I never thought it was necessary to ask for your permission."

"You should, you arrogant, little churl!"

Rydia replied with as much civility as she could muster, "May I ask why I was summoned?"

"You just remember that you're nothing more than a guest here. I would advise you to keep your distance from Cecil."

The summoner found herself more shocked than angered, "Rosa... I can't believe you would even think that! Cecil loves you! He's my friend! He'd sooner kill himself than betray you."

Rosa laughed sardonically, "As if I could believe such a thing. With you waltzing around, still young and beautiful while the rest of us age and with me here, it makes it all the easier for you two, doesn't it? DOESN'T IT?!"

Rydia felt her anger reaching its threshold as she replied with what little calm she had left, "Trust me. I would never betray yours or Cecil's trust like that."

"It would be nice if I could believe your thinly veiled words, beast whore!"

Rydia shut her eyes and breathed heavily, struggling to keep herself calm. She had to get out of there immediately. She did not want to know what would happen if this kept up.

"Forgive me, your highness, but I have to go now."

"Good, I'm sure Titan misses rutting you like your mother!"

Neither Rosa nor the guards had time to bat an eyelash.

The summoner's fist collided with Rosa's face suddenly and quite violently. So enraged was Rydia, she lost her balance from the swing. With agility that belied her balance, Rydia leaped forward and tackled Rosa, clamping her mouth closed with her free hand.

With another fluid motion, Rydia whipped out a dagger she always kept in her sleeve and held its sharp blade at Rosa's neck. The guards were poised, holding their spears at her back, but she was too angered to notice or care. Besides, it was much faster for her to cut open Rosa's neck that it was for the guards to lance her in the back.

Rydia always considered herself very well in control of her anger. In a calm state, the though of what she was doing now was beyond ludicrous. However, after all she had gone through today, Rydia did not care who it was she was ready to injure. No one, but no one dared to insult her mother so blatantly!

From the guards' point of view, Rydia looked and sounded like a wild animal ready to lash at anything that moved. The guards wondered if it was wise to try and stop her, considering that she not only wielded powerful summoning magic, but frightening black magic that could reduce them both to nothing.

Rydia was breathing heavily as her eyes bored into Rosa's. How tempting it was to choke her to death... to stab her blade into her throat... petrify her... burn her to cinders... anything to hear her scream in agony.

"If you were any other woman, Rosa Harvey," her grip tightened and new blood was beginning to flow along her fingertips, "I would kill you for saying that!"

Though mad, Rosa's eyes overflowed with the fear that delighted the High Summoner to no end. Not only did she have the unmitigated gall to insult her mother, but also she went so far as to insinuate that she and Cecil were having an affair. For all Rydia knew, maybe Rosa had an affair with Kain all those years ago, she did know for a fact that there was quite the ordeal between those three. It wouldn't surprise the summoner at all.

Angered to the point where she couldn't speak, Rydia raged over what made Rosa so damn special. As far as the Summoner knew, Rosa was a near liability most of the time she knew her. She, Cecil, and Gilbert had to hunt for a cure for a disease she brought upon herself, in which time could have been used to help the people of Damcyam to evacuate after the Red Wings struck.

What good were her prayers when Golbez had them all at his mercy? Were it not for Rydia, they would have been long dead. Kain's jealousy towards Cecil made it all the easier for Golbez to control Kain again. Some help Rosa was!

Noises behind her brought her back to reality to see the guards were pointing their spears at her back. Though their weapons were ready to use, the fear in their own eyes made their hands shake. In her rage, Rydia knew she could burn them all with but a few choice words. Besides, all she needed was a good stroke across Rosa's neck before anyone could do anything.

"Lady Drake! Please! Don't do it!" one of the guards pleaded. As much as Rydia would have been more than agreeable to killing them all, the time she had to breathe allowed the anger to slowly seep out of her mind.

Slowly, she let go of Rosa, replaced her dagger, stood up, and walked out of the room as fast as she could. Rydia had to get away from there.

"Lady Drake, wait!" the younger of the two guards said.

Turning around, Rydia snapped, "What?!"

He flinched, but continued nonetheless, "There was something else." He reached into his pouch and pulled out a letter with the royal seal on it, "Last time the queen was sane, she wanted to speak with you, but knew it would be too late by the time you got here. So she wrote this letter to you alone."

Surprised, Rydia took the letter and looked back to the guard, ashamed that she lashed out so viciously earlier.

"Thank you... and I'm sorry."

The guard nodded as the other guard closed the doors to Rosa's chamber.

Rydia then looked towards the hand that was stained with blood. It was red, just like hers and everyone else's. It was the liquid that gave its precious life force to all that had it. It also had a peculiar odor that applied only to humans.

During her sojourn in the Kingdom of the dwarves, she had stumbled across an infirmary that had the bleeding and the dying citizens of Giott's kingdom. Her sense of smell was much stronger back then, and she had noticed the scent of dwarf blood and how much different it was when compared to her own.

But what of its taste? A lone voice in the back of her head asked. Driven by a strange curiosity, she brought her hand up to her head to lick it off. However, her hand, along with the rest of her body, was all a quiver. In a fear induced peak, she gathered her books and dashed back to her room.

Along the way, she realized to her horror what she had nearly done.

What was happening to her?

...

A short while later, Rydia noticed that the door to Cecil's room was slightly ajar. The lights were low and Rydia could not help but peek inside to see Cecil asleep on his bed. Keep her steps as silent as possible, she walked over to his side and saw dried tears adorn his face and pillow.

What a time for all this to happen, Rydia thought ruefully. She took a chair from his nearby desk and sat it right by his bed. From her chair, Rydia reached over and started to stroke Cecil's hair gently.

Cecil didn't deserve this. He never meant any harm, nor did he ever want to hurt anyone. His faith in what was right had earned him friends that would have given their lives if they knew their sacrifices would save his life. Kain, Edge, the twins, Yang, herself, and even Gilbert would have gladly taken a shot meant for him.

In such a short time, he already lost one of the most important people in his life to someone he defeated long ago. Rydia wanted to protest that things like this should never happen to people, especially to a holy paladin. They were supposed to be the bastions of virtue and good in a world that didn't care about spiritual matters. Even ancient tales of summoners in the past spoke very highly of paladins that protected and fought alongside them.

Reality was cruel beyond words. She learned that when she saw her own mother collapse defending their home. Now, Cecil saw the one he loved most turning against him against her will.

"Sleep well, Cecil. And hope that I can find the answer for this soon," she whispered before leaning over and kissing his head. She left as silently as she entered, but made sure that the door was closed.

...

The rest of the night remained uneventful, save for the letter that Rosa wrote for her.

On her bed, Rydia carefully broke the seal, placed the envelope on the nightstand, and held the candle near to read the letter.

Rydia;

I doubt that you get this from me while I am sane, so I asked the guard to give this to you when the opportunity presented itself.

Rydia... I'm dying. Bit by bit, I can feel my body betraying me. Time in my right mind has grown shorter with every interval. And I grow tired of this battle between the curse and me. Even if there is a cure, I doubt very much I can recover from this.

However, the curse I have is not the least of my worries. Call it woman's intuition, but I have this feeling that something terrible is going to happen when I'm gone. My children and their children will be at risk from something I can't see. Cecil and I owe you our lives and to ask more of you seems rude of me. However, I beg you, Rydia, please watch over my husband and family. They mean the world to me and I shudder to think of what could happen.

Simply because I ask you to do these things does not mean you are obligated. You have your own life to live. There will always be heroes to stand up and challenge fate.

I do not regret anything.

Your friend;

Rosanna Harvey

P.S. Cecil and I never told you, but if you had never grown in the land of summoned monsters, we would have been happy to adopt you. For all you've given, you deserve the best life has to offer, nothing less.

With tears in her eyes, Rydia crumpled the letter and muttered several curses in the Caller's tongue. She wanted to hate Rosa, hate her for what she said about her mother. But knowing that it was something else talking and for all the kind things she and Cecil had done for her, made it impossible.

"Fash Neleil Kaboor Carbuncle!" she cried to the world of summoned monsters. In an instant, a gem the size of a chair materialized. It hovered for a second before breaking apart to reveal a very young summoned monster. Carbuncle appeared to as an armless rabbit with a large fluffy tail, long ears, and a ruby etched in its forehead.

The infant monster hopped upon Rydia's bed and slowly edged itself into Rydia's lap. Grateful for the company, she held the infant closely as her tears drifted off her face and on to its ears. Carbuncle blinked its azure colored eyes and wondered what brought its caller such distress.

Not bothering to change in her nightclothes, Rydia teetered over on her side and drifted into a dreamless sleep.

End of chapter

Minor notes: One; I absolutely adore stories where established characters find time to loathe and utterly hate each other.

Two: Yes, Carbuncle is from FF 8 and 9, but there's nothing wrong with saying that he was born recently. Right? Right. I always thought Carbuncle was the cutest one of all. :p

Just a note: Gilbert = Edward the Bard. Edward = Edge the Ninja. So, we're basically going by the PSX version of FFIV.


	3. Chapter 3

Since the attack by the general and his men, Cecil had kept a sharp eye out for any possible reinforcements. One of the lessons that he never forgot during his training as a dark knight was to always know who was around you. Their actions alone could tell if their intentions were hostile or not.

However, in the case of Kaipo, Cecil was given a little more breathing room on account that all possible intelligence had been gathered and Kaipo was left alone and considered harmless. The fact that he and the last summoner from Mist were still there could change that. If the king of Baron truly considered Rydia a threat, then the rest of the people in town could be in danger.

These worries and thoughts of his friends back at Baron castle still plagued him as he gazed at the setting sun in the west. Rosa and Cid were probably still worried sick about him. One could only wonder what the report was when it reached the king. If Kain was telling the truth and had joined him against the king, then it was most likely the dragoon was laying low.

A stirring to his right brought his attention to the child that now clung to him as though he were her parent. Wrapping his arm around her small frame, he shifted his position to allow her a little more comfort at his side. It had been almost three days since he had protected the last of the summoners from his former country. She had since stayed very close to him, fearing that others would come for her.

Rydia Drake stared towards the dusk with weary eyes, her grip on Cecil's shirt still held fast. Ever since her mother was killed, her words were few and far in between. What few precious things she said since then were her name and what it meant. Her actions had shown that she had forgiven him, much to Cecil's relief.

From what Cecil could tell, Rydia was either changed drastically by the death of her mother or she was naturally a very shy child. When they had gone to the market to purchase food, she usually pointed towards what few fruits of the desert she liked. Thankfully, they were not as expensive as he thought; since the suppliers had a much higher amount than usual this year, the prices were significantly lower.

Yet, their money wouldn't last forever and soon they'd have to move on. Not only to escape from the king, but to warn the rest of the nations of what the king was doing. To the north was Damcyan. The royalty there were known to be men and women of reason, though he was unsure if they would actually do something since they were practically isolated by mountains and the sea.

Their military consisted of desert-hardened volunteers who piloted hovercraft as well as some of the best chocobo riders on the continent. However, their fighters were only well versed in ground attacks. Should the Red Wings be deployed, Damcyan would not stand a chance.

Yet, being in command of the Red Wings had given Cecil a little insight on how those ships operated. If he had enough time to warn Damcyan, they could repulse the Red Wings long enough to gain support from the other nations.

They had to leave soon. It was too soon for his liking, because poor Rydia would be hard pressed to keep up with his pace. If worse came to worse, he'd carry her. She was small for a child her age and would not weigh so much for a while.

Though tired, her face moved to look up to him, as though she were reading his thoughts. Her gaze asked what was going to happen to them now.

"We have to leave early tomorrow, Rydia. It won't be safe for us here very long."

She nodded once. She knew that since he had defended her, Cecil was in trouble and people would be coming for them both. Rydia did not particularly care for the desert, but knew that she had no choice. They had to move and as much as she wanted to say good bye to her mother, time was against them.

He was about to stand when he felt a tug from Rydia.

"Cecil, do you have a mommy?"

Taken back by the question, Cecil realized that no one had ever asked him that. Regardless, he answered the question, "No. She died when I was very young. Younger than you, now that I remember."

"Do you remember anything 'bout her?"

Cecil closed his eyes for a second. He wanted to remember what she was like. What her hair color was, if he was the only child she had, or if she had any other family. Sadly, anything that gave him an idea of what his mother looked like was gone with the past. However, there was one memory that he still had and never let go, even after all these years.

Cecil looked disconsolate as he answered. "Only... only the tune of a lullaby she used to sing to me. I don't know if she ever sang it to anyone else, but I remember her singing it to me. That's it. I always thought I could get over it, but the memory's always been there."

Rydia appeared crestfallen at knowing that Cecil never knew what it was like to have a mother. She stood up and put her small arms around Cecil's neck and put her head on his much larger shoulder.

"My mom did this for me whenever I was sad... it made me feel better."

The sentiment, though very simple, lifted Cecil's spirits a bit as he reached up and patted her head softly. In spite of all that had happened, a bit of her innocence still shone through like a candle in the dark. It helped to soothe his troubled soul.

"Thank you, Rydia."

...

Cecil's eyes opened slowly to take in the blinding light from his window. Blinking, he moved out of the way and onto the side of his bed. Taking a moment to stretch, he noticed how much larger his bed was without Rosa in it. His wife's degrading condition brought him out of his weary haze and it lowered his spirits to the point where he wished he did not have to move for the day.

Pushing himself up and to his dresser, he was about to pick out something simple to wear when he realized that the Mysidian delegates were to arrive that night. The thought of the haughty wizards and mages made him groan. He had been there several times in the intervening years and had seen several of the wizarding families grow great in power and influence.

The families of Strife, Mayer, Heartily, and Klauser were well known, favorably or hated in many cases. Those that held the families in high regard were often vassals to the families, servants, or business partners with them. The others, fed up with the higher families bending the law to their own whims, left Mysidia and fled to Mist. It was an inadvertent help to the city, since new blood in Mist was a rarity.

A knock at the door brought him out of his meditation.

"Enter, please."

Anthony Baigan, captain of the guard, entered and bowed cordially. "Good morning, your highness. I trust you've slept well?"

Cecil nodded before asking, "What's the news, Captain?"

"The Mysidian delegates have informed me that internal problems have forced them to delay the meetings for a week."

Cecil held back another groan and answered, "Did they give any specifics as to why?"

The captain shook his head. "Afraid not, sire."

Exhaling, he leaned forward and put his forehead on his hands. "What do you think?"

"Speaking for myself, your highness, the higher wizarding families are fighting over who receives the dubious honor of coming to Baron. And it's not impossible for the Seperatists to interfere with it too."

With a sigh, Cecil stood up. "When it rains, it pours," he turned to Baigan, "anything else?"

The captain shook his head, "None, sire. With your leave, I'll return to my duties."

"Thank you, Captain."

With another bow, Baigan left Cecil's room. The paladin king now realized how quiet everything was. He could only hear the sound of the breeze coming through his window. It was unsettling and he didn't like it. It reminded him of the cave that lead to Mist. It wasn't fear that unsettled him, but the anxiety caused by the nothing that hung in the air.

Then, a depressing epiphany came to mind. He ruled a kingdom, he had wonderful children, and he had friends that cared for him. Yet, he felt as though he had nothing simply because he didn't have Rosa with him.

...

Walking through the library, Palom Ambrosius grumbled at the sheer number of books they had gone through in the past week. In his arm, various books on magical traps and hexes that he chose seemed heavier than the previous books. Even with the help gained by favors and requests, they had only gone through a third of the amount of books the library had. To make matters worse, his twin sister Porom had estimated that Rosa's body would soon give out within a few days. Of course, time had to turn against them.

What he wouldn't give for a miracle right about then. Even a small revelation to lead them to the cure would be nice. However, it would have to be either a timely discovery or... no, he wouldn't think about the alternative.

Pushing open the door to his office, he placed the books on his desk, among other articles that required his attention. The foremost was a request from the Klauser family to gain permission from the elders to attempt something called 'Substitutiary locomotion'. As one of the Mage Council of Mysidia, Palom was to be the first to see any and all requests for new magics to ensure its study could progress carefully.

"Substitutiary locomotion? Having inanimate objects move via their inert energies?" Automatically, Palom grew suspicious. Especially, because the self-proclaimed master mage family was behind it. Growing up, Dackat, the current head of the family had often been at odds with the Ambrosius twins. They were always spouting that wretched diatribe about breeding and social status and other such nonsense.

As far as Palom knew, their family was barely scraping by like the rest of the town did for all the many years of their existence. It was only through their good fortune with trade and new money did they start to flaunt their so-called prestige. His wife and sister's admonition to be patient with them was the only thing that prevented the black wizard from decking Dackat's teeth out.

Looking over the rest of the proposal, Palom started to grow even more suspicious at the prospect of the use of the new magics: industrial labor by golems. It went on to explain that the golems would be used to mine resources from uninhabited islands rich in mineral resources. That same suspicious part of Palom's mind wiped out the word 'industrial labor' and inserted the word 'military conscription'. And instead of mineral resource gatherers, he saw many squads of these things.

The Klauser were more than vocal about their displeasure with Baron, especially with Cecil. It was even speculated by some that they funded some of the terrorist activities done by the Mysidian Seperatists. Well, one could just replace any name with another of the bigger houses, according to the general consensus by most of the population of Mysidia.

Closing his eyes, Palom folded his arms and tried to figure out any sort of possible motive for this. The Klauser knew for a fact if they tried to make a move, the other three houses would move against them. The same applied to the rest of the great houses. They all distrusted each other too much to even consider a temporary alliance.

In fact, the other houses were being far too quiet for his tastes. Fifteen years since the end of the Crystal War, the four houses were fighting for dominance in the Mysidian city. Thankfully, there was no open warfare and it was, for the most part, done in ways that didn't capture the world's attention. He was able to find out about it through his 'friends' in the Strife house had 'friends' in other houses that fed him all the information he needed. He knew they were telling the truth, because he had told so many lies in his childhood, any attempt at subterfuge failed.

Standing up, he held the report in hand and strolled silently to his sister's office. Though Rosa's dilemma was dire and in need of serious attention, Palom's mind for mischief knew the stirrings of trouble when he saw it. This had to be brought to the attention of the council as soon as possible.

Opening Porom's door, Palom slid through like a shadow without making a sound. He took an extra glance behind him, throwing out his range of magical perception to make sure that he wasn't being followed. Turning back, he took a seat in front of his sister's desk as she stared dispassionately from behind her reading spectacles.

"Something bothering you, brother?"

"Now that you mention it..." he tossed the proposal onto her desk.

She took it up and read through it in half the time he did. Palom would never admit it, but it always jarred him to know that she could read through things and comprehend it twice as fast as he. It was also one of the reasons why she was the head of the council. Many of the living to the most powerful of undead monstrosities could not withstand her powerful holy magic.

She cocked an eyebrow to her bother, "And?"

"Doesn't seem just a little bit suspicious to you? I mean, the Klauser have had a grudge against Cecil and Baron ever since the Crystal War and with something like this, they could make an army in secret if they so wished."

She placed the paper on her desk, "The thought had occurred to me. However, the problem therein lies in the fact that we have no proof. And of course, the council, rallying behind their 'independence' cause can use this with impunity."

He shrugged his shoulders and sighed, "So, in other words, we can't do anything."

Porom smiled enigmatically, "Not for now, anyway. Keep your ears open, brother. Even after this ordeal with Rosa and the Seperatists, I got a feeling that something big is going to happen. And since the other heroes from the Crystal War may not be able to help us as much as we'd hope, I suggest we keep those loyal to us close and those who are not even closer."

Now it was Palom's turn to cock an eyebrow. "Woman's intuition?"

Porom shrugged. "You can say that."

Palom smirked. "Now I know why I decided to stick around you. There are times where you can be just as crafty as I can. I like that."

Porom suppressed a chuckle, "And if I weren't so comfortable sitting down, I'd smack you like I did when we were kids."

The younger twin snorted in reply, "Oh please, my wife's whip..." he slapped his palm over his mouth, but it was too late. He saw his sister grinning like she had just found the proverbial cookie jar. With a frown, he leaned over the edge of her desk and whispered, "You heard nothing. Am I clear?"

With her fingers intertwined, she replied calmly, "I don't recall hearing anything... so long as you agree to watch over my children in the near future. My husband and I want some alone time as well."

Taking the proposal, he skulked back to the door and grumbled, "Drop dead, Porom,' which translated, meant a reluctant yes in their own personal speech patterns.

...

In the town of Baron, Anthony, disguised as a merchant, mock-stumbled into a bar. Considering what he stood to gain from his confederation with the higher families of Baron, he could not appear in his normal regalia. Looking to one of the more less-personable booths in the rear, he suppressed a grin at seeing a single man fidgeting slightly.

Walking through the unwashed masses, he slid down into the booth as quietly as a breeze. In fact, it was so silent that he nearly scared the representative of the ruling class. Anthony didn't like the way this man acted. It was too obvious, but knew he had to deal with people like this for a while.

"You're him, aren't you?" the wormy messenger said.

With a self-confident smirk, Anthony replied, "If it wasn't me, then it wouldn't be me, would it?"

"No mind games. Get to the point and what's the report?"

"The Queen's condition is getting worse. The healers figure she won't last the week. And with the delay from the Mysidians, it makes this all the easier for us."

The vassal frowned, "In case you've forgotten, they've got that beast whore and some of the best wizards in Mysidia looking for a cure. Have you considered what can happen if they succeed?"

Unperturbed, Anthony replied, "Then we resort to my contingency."

The vassal's frown deepened, "You seem rather confident about yourself. What guarantee do we have that you will succeed AND keep your half of the bargain?"

"Oh come now. Isn't petty revenge for my promiscuous father enough? Besides, it will make the perfect tragedy. My father, loyal patriot to the state of Baron, after being murdered by his former compatriot, is venerated when his bastard son avenges his death and takes the throne for his father's sake."

"I'm still not convinced."

"I have my ways, my friend. That's all you need to know. And once Harvey's out of the way, your masters will be getting all the influence they want. But the throne will be mine," he reached over, grabbed the vassal's collar, and pulled him over the table, "am I clear?"

The weak-willed vassal, acting no different than his masters, nodded while holding back a sob. The nobles didn't want Cecil as the king anymore, but the people of Baron and the ruling parties of other nations loved him far too much for them to try anything. They knew the connections Cecil had and if they tried anything, retribution would be swift and terrible.

Anthony let go of the collar and stood up. His business for today was done and he needed to return to the castle before his absence was discovered. Along the way to the exit, the smell of fresh tobacco assaulted his nose. He turned to see a woman, dressed in a high class, though somewhat tasteless dress that placed her virtue into question. She smiled at him, "Greetings, sir. Surely all the business you've been occupied with has left you little time for companionship."

Anthony smiled back at the whore's face, her ample bust, and well shaped legs before returning to her face. "Maybe some other time." Though attractive, Anthony didn't dare touch this one. She wasn't stupid and so, she'd die first and quietly once the throne was his.

The woman blinked and then smiled once more. "I'll be here if you need me, sir. Just ask for Tifa." She took a puff from her pipe once more as she watched her potential customer leave the bar. She shrugged in resignation once he left her sight. He looked like one with many dirty little secrets to exploit. However, he didn't seem stupid enough to fall for her. Which was a pity, really. He was kind of handsome, despite the disguise.

...

Leaning against the wall by the infirmary door, Cecil sighed. Rosa's condition had deteriorated to the point where she could hardly move anymore. Because of that, they were able to move her out of the tower, clean her up, and place her in the infirmary. Peeking through the crack in the door, he stared at his barely living wife. Her eyes were fluttering, fighting to simply stay awake against the strength of the curse and her body's betrayal.

"If you wish, your highness, you may be with her. However, I'm afraid she won't respond," the white mage whispered morosely.

Cecil nodded, thanked the healer, and dismissed her. Taking a seat from the desk on the opposite side of the room, he placed the chair by the bed, sat on it, and stared silently at Rosa's sleeping form. Instinctually, he reached up and took her still hand in his own. Her hand was still warm, though not as warm as it was before.

He knew she couldn't hear him, but still, he whispered, "I miss you." Cecil gave her hand a gentle squeeze, hoping that she could tell he was there. His mood lightened slightly when he felt her hand squeeze gently back. From what he could see, she was still fighting. The prospect gave him hope that she would last long enough to pull through. Maybe she would. From what Rydia had told him the previous time, the twins and she were on the trail of finding the cure.

Maybe she did have a chance to survive. Rosa had lasted this long, maybe there was a chance she could prevail and recover. He held his wife's hand fast, hoping that his grip would somehow keep here with him.

...

Rydia yawned as she turned another page. Despite all the progress she and the twins made in the past, it still did not give them the answers they sought. Leaning back in her chair, Rydia used her index finger to draw the runes and equations needed to try and figure out the nature of the curse itself.

"Let's see... when trapper hex is applied to someone, the spectral patters created from the hex form a counter-clockwise thread that affect the mental energies of the host. However, until the hex is activated, the thread itself becomes inert and practically invisible.

"But even if it was invisible, there should be some kind of spectral dissonance that would make it visible to healers... oh wait, the thread modifies itself to the pattern of the host..."

She ran her hands through her hair and grumbled a few curses in the summoner's tongue before putting her face in her palms. It was already nightfall and she was at her rope's end. Standing up, she stretched her back and turned to the general direction of the twins' offices, hoping that they had better luck than she did.

On her way, she bumped into two small persons, dressed in a white and black mage cloak that seemed a bit too big for them.

Looking down, she saw two young mages giggling mischievously behind their respective robes before trying to scurry away. However, Rydia's quick hands caught both their collars. With a smirk on her face, Rydia said casually, "If I didn't know better, I'd say it was Terra and Tina up to no good, again."

The white mage pulled her hood back to show her face, "how'd you know?"

"Call it a calculated guess. Now what are you two doing and why are you in such a hurry?"

Porom's daughters smirked to one another and pulled off their headdresses to show their hair was dyed a dark shade of green. Rydia held her face to her mouth to stifle a laugh and knelt down in front of them, "You realize your mother's going to throw a fit when she sees you?"

Tina seemed unconcerned. "She already knows and promised to ground us for a month unless we change our hair back."

Terra then piped up, much more worried than her sister. "But this is a prismatic spell. Those don't wear off until a day or two."

Tina then looked at her sister, quite shocked, "Are you serious?!" Terra nodded meekly. "Perfect."

Rydia then cocked an eyebrow, "But why did you two dye your hair in the first place?"

Tina looked up to Rydia with a grin. "It's because we want to be like you, Lady Drake. We want to be able to summon monsters like you can, but our mom won't let us go to Mist until we've graduated from the Academy."

Rydia rolled her eyes. "Trust me, using theoregy is not the same as using regular magic. I was born there and it took me more times than I can count just to be able to summon a chocobo."

Terra then spoke up quietly, "But we still admire you, Lady Drake. That's why we want to be like you."

The statement gave the summoner pause. Recently, all she heard from her peers, save for her closest friends, were insults. To hear these two say such a thing humbled her. Kneeling on the ground, she took both girls and hugged them, "Thank you... though I don't feel worthy to hear you say that, I appreciate it."

Both twins smiled and gave their farewells before scurrying off home. Porom's daughters made her feel warm enough to almost forget her troubles, but knew she had to carry on.

As she passed through the main library hall, the hair on her neck suddenly stood on end as she felt another chronogy pulse fade somewhere near her location. On instinct, she started to run towards Porom's office when she nearly ran into the elder twin.

"Porom, did you feel that chronogy pulse?"

"Yes, but that's not important, look at this!" she gestured to the book she held, "All this time we were trying to figure out how to unravel the curse, but that was never the case at all!"

Looking over the passage Porom showed her, Rydia's eyes sped over the solution to put the pieces together herself. "So... if I'm reading this right... Then the degradation curse isn't constructed in the Bane system, but the Blight system? Then we've been following the wrong course all along?!"

The twin shook her head, "No, the degradation curse is actually a combination of both systems. After all, the Lunarians were far more advanced with their magic than we were. It's not improbable that Zemus used that when he had the chance."

"But that doesn't make sense. Curses that use more than one construction system can hardly be used with a single hex. It would mess up the whole thing."

"Unless the caster arranged the construction in a different order, then it would make the hex and the curse all the more difficult to find since Healers are always quick to turn to the normal detection system."

"So, how to we get rid of the curse?"

"We don't."

"What?!"

"Normally, this curse kills the victims, but if were to simply remove a few key threads from both the hex and the curse, then it'll simply run itself into oblivion, sparing Rosa."

Breath suddenly came hard for Rydia as she asked the twin, "How long would the procedure take?"

The elder twin pushed up her reading spectacles, "Only half an hour. And I'll need your help since this requires both black and white magics to use."

"What about your brother?"

"Poor boy worked himself to sleep. In fact, I was checking on him when I found this on his desk."

"And you practically abused him when you two were kids."

Porom's smile faded as she turned defensive, "And let him do as he pleased? I think not."

"Well, we'll save the argument for later. Let's go!"

Both of them sped through the columns of books and into the night towards the Devil's Road. The excitement in the air was thick as their adrenaline carried them faster than their legs normally would. Ignoring the confused looks from others outside on that night, Rydia and Porom sped through the streets.

It was liberating to know that Rosa would be all right, but still, her condition had to be cured or else permanent damage would be left on her. But Rydia didn't care, she was practically flying and nothing could get in the way of her good mood.

Except for seeing the entrance to the Devil's Road collapsed under rubble as a result of the Serpatists' terrorist activities.

"Tough luck for you, eh beast whore?" Rydia heard Lana taunt from the other side of the street. The summoner could not believe that such a thing happened on the verge of their triumph, and the little school brat was there just to add insult to injury.

Thankfully, Porom took up the stand, "Watch your tongue, Ms. Phorris, or else I will make sure you never graduate!"

Head councilwoman Porom's presence shocked Lana into silence. To make sure nothing worse could happen, she and her groupies retreated from the domineering presence of both women. Rydia was grateful for her friend's interference, or else she would have done something she might have regretted.

Between breaths, the twin sighed, "Now what do we do? It's too late to send for an airship and we wouldn't be able to get a black chocobo in time."

Rydia considered the other options they had. The airships in town imposed heavy prices on rides and since Rydia wasn't in the mood to wait, she counted that alternative out. They had to get there fast. Faster than anything that man could make... and therein lay the answer.

She grabbed Porom's wrist and dragged her to the edge of town, "Come on! I have an idea."

"What is it?"

"You'll see!"

...

Several more minutes of running later, they came to the closest to the city. They could have used the cliffs, but that wouldn't have been advisable, given Porom's fear of heights.

"Rydia, what are we doing here? We have to get to..."

"I know, just watch!" She faced the ocean and closed her eyes. Forcing her breathing and heart to calm, she began to hear sound of the waves crashing against the shore. A sea blue aura cascaded from her person and into sphere above her. Levitating over the ground, she threw her hands into the air and cried with a voice distorted by the ether.

"Ash'ra Tho'ro Mahn... Ara Dan'el Thil'Orei! Leviathan!"

The sphere grew and exploded. In its place, the majestic serpent unraveled from slumber and roared as it dove into the ocean. Seconds later, the king of the summoned monsters emerged on the shore and rested its head on the sand beside Rydia and Porom.

"You can't be serious!" Porom exclaimed in shock.

"Of course I am." Rydia said before dragging the white sorceress onto the back of Leviathan's head and whispering in the caller's tongue what she wished of him. With a growl of compliance, the serpent turned around and sped towards Baron and speeds matched only by airships.

While Rydia screamed in delighted at the adrenalin rush, Porom held onto Rydia's waist and the book she carried for dear life. She was never used to such speeds and it was doubtful she ever would be.

...

Captain Tristam inhaled deeply of the sea air and stretched his hands high, reveling in the rejuvenating smell of salt water. The life of a sailor was the only life he wanted. The great sea in front of him, a strong and study boat beneath him, and of course, dry land behind him whenever he felt the urge to come home.

A rustle in the water brought his attention to the distance where he saw something akin to a small tidal wave approaching the harbor. However, upon closer inspection, he gasped and nearly lost his balance at the sudden appearance of the most feared beast in the entire ocean. Leviathan!

Fear soon turned into confusion when he swore that he saw two women on the top of the monster's head. Even more unusual was when the beast reached the stone harbor and slowed to a softer pace, dropped the women off, and returned into the ocean as though nothing had happened.

He turned to see the women that had somehow tamed the massive serpent and rode him from wherever they came, but they had already dashed into the city and made for the castle, by the looks of it.

...

"Open the gates! Hurry!" Rydia cried to the guards who saw their approach. Knowing who Rydia was, they opened the gates without bothering to ask who her companion was. Through the corridors and up the stairs they ran to the infirmary. There was no time at all to lose. Every second counted.

Both women burst through the door to give everyone there the good news. But as soon as Rydia saw the body with the sheets draped over it, the words suddenly died in her throat. Shaking her head, she whispered 'no' several times, not believing what she saw.

The head healer gave Rydia a forlorn look before turning away.

The summoner's breathing grew faster and less human as she grabbed the book Porom held and threw it into the wall. Falling to her knees, Rydia punched the carpeted floor several times before throwing back her head and screaming.

All of Baron heard her.

She was too late.

End of chapter 3

Insert obligatory request for constructive comments and criticisms here. It should be noted that Rydia's summoner chants come from Warcraft 3, so they belong to Blizzard. Also, anything Final Fantasy related, which includes the several references to other games, belongs to Square Enix. Also, points goes out to those that know what Palom is talking about during his first scene and where exactly it comes from. You can look it up,

if you wish, but you won't get the points. :p

I was original going for a J.K. Rowling inspired name set for the Noble Houses, but figured it'd just be easier to use family names of other FF characters. Yet, I suck, but at least I'd like to think I suck half-decently.

And as a point for the plot from the game: Cecil and Rydia were planning on leaving Kaipo, but when they were about to leave, they heard talk about an 'girl that walked all the way from Baron, looking for someone'. Cecil, naturally got suspicious and was shocked to discover that it was indeed, Rosa. Thanks to Stealth Noodle to pointing that out.

I'd put more author's notes here, but somehow I feel they wouldn't be appropriate.


	4. Chapter 4

"Sorry, Cecil." Rydia whispered as she held onto her guardian's shoulders. Though she was small and lightweight, having carried her on his back for a while was taking its toll on Cecil's legs and back.

The dark knight craned his head and replied between breaths, "don't worry. It's not that bad."

"Sir Cecil. Would you have me take over for a while? Give yourself a break?" Edward inquired as they made their way up Mount Hobs. Time was short and they needed to pass over the mountain since the hovercraft was of no further use to them. Fabul was most likely to be hit next and the faster they reached the kingdom, the more time they would have to prepare.

Rydia clenched her hands on the fabric of Cecil's sleeves. She wasn't scared of Edward, but she had grown rather attached to her guardian. And considering what she had gone through, she still felt apprehensive to both the bard and Rosa.

Picking up on Rydia's reluctance, Cecil shook his head. "Thanks for the offer, but I think I can go a little further."

Rosa, returning from scouting ahead only a few minutes before, spoke up. "You won't need to worry. There's a campsite up ahead. We'll be able to rest there for a while."

Rydia tightened her grip around Cecil's shoulders as they climbed the stone steps that lead up to the path Rosa indicated. They'd been going this way for a few hours and to say that they were all tired would have been an understatement. The little summoner could tell that Cecil would have gone on, despite his exhaustion. In fact, she felt a little guilty for being the one that slowed them down.

However, she remembered Cecil and Rosa's encouragement to melt the ice that blocked their path. She was afraid of the fire and though she still felt a bit apprehensive of using it in battle, their route to getting to Fabul was much more important.

Rydia reestablished her hold on Cecil's shoulders as they climbed the last step. Tempting as it was to look down and see how high they climbed, Rydia had the sense of mind to keep looking up. The monsters on the mountain were scary enough. She didn't need another thing to be worried about.

That evening, they got a fire started and with the tent established, they were able to make use of what supplies they were able to carry. Once the meal was done, they made plans to continue in the morning. The sooner it came, the better.

Rydia yawned while leaning against Cecil's side and wavering between sleep and consciousness, she could hear the conversation between him and Rosa.

"Looks like she's taken quite a liking to you."

"It appears so, and as strange as it sounds, I'm all she has left."

Rosa paused for a second before asking, "What are you going to do with her once this whole business with the crystals is over?"

Now it was Cecil's turn to pause and his was a bit longer than hers. "I've been thinking about that. But I still don't know what to do."

With a warm smile, Rosa crept on his other side and kissed him on the check. "You know, if you and I are really serious about... you know, then maybe you and I could adopt her?"

"Maybe, but I still feel completely responsible for all she's lost. True, she may get over it now, but what about when she grows up? I mean, she could wake up one day and decide to avenge her mother."

Rydia wanted to protest and say Cecil's fears were unfounded, but she began to wonder if his fears would come true. Would she try and kill him for killing her mother? It was an uncomfortable thought. Somehow, even if it was 'just', killing him for killing another just didn't seem 'right'.

Rosa wrapped her arm around Cecil's shoulder and leaned her head against his. "I wouldn't worry about it. Children know how to forgive much more easily than adults do. And if I don't miss my guess, Rydia's a good girl and she'll grow up to be a fine woman."

Rydia's uncertainty vanished after hearing Rosa's calming sentiment. The child had forgiven Cecil and though it would be a long time before the scars of what happened would completely heal, it wouldn't be any worse. Cecil was not her enemy.

Of that much, she was certain.

...

Rydia must have dozed off while changing for the funeral. Most dreams she had were mostly incoherent, and even if they were of the past, it would be hazy at best. Something was causing her to remember the past in her dreams. It wasn't impossible for someone along the lines of a dream seer was affecting her. Yet, that seemed a little too far fetched, even for the world that they lived in. Yet, she knew that something or someone was doing this to her. At the moment, the dreams would only bring back the past... of happier times.

She looked out the window and sighed. It was either cloudy or rainy whenever a funeral was taking place. Throwing a dark green cloak over her shoulders, she took a minute to smooth out the folds of her dress, which had the same color as the cloak, with black trim.

A knock on the door caught her attention and the Castle's steward, Benjamin, stepped in and bowed, "The rest of the procession is waiting, Lady Drake."

"Coming." She replied tiredly as she threw the hood of her cloak over her head and followed the steward to the main hall. Per the customs of Baron, all members of the procession wore little to no color and were often covered to give no distinction. To the founders of the Baronian nation, all were alike in death.

The main hall, cleared out and rearranged, was filled with the royal family, their children, and friends of the royal family. As one of the friends, she took her place behind Cecil's family. To her right; she could see Gilbert beneath his hood, trying his best not to break down. She reached over, grasped his hand gently, and gave it an encouraging squeeze. He tried his best to smile back, but it was difficult and she couldn't blame him.

The former bard had aged surprisingly well, considering all that he had to endure with the past thirty years. With little to no remaining army, restoring order in the kingdom of Damcyan was chore that took nearly a decade. Even then, rebuilding the social and financial infrastructure nearly drove anyone involved to madness. Yet, the prince had prevailed and his kingdom was beginning to turn the desert into The once vibrant forest it was.

A bell was heard from the highest reaches of the castle and on queue, the pallbearers carried the coffin, made of exquisite Tororian wood, to the cart in the courtyard. Not a word was said as the cart that carried the sleeping queen made its way through the town square and the shadowed entourage followed slowly behind.

With her head bent low, Rydia made sure to keep her distance between herself and the royal family. Passing through the crowds, her sharp ears were catching words she wished she didn't hear.

"Of course, that Mysidian witch comes to the rescue just as the queen dies."

"I'll bet you anything that they held back the cure purposely, but let her go just to make it look like they were sincere."

"Inbred Mysidian pricks. Everyone of them."

Rydia's frown deepened. She knew that Porom and her brother were right behind and if there was any reaction, things could only get worse. Thankfully, it appeared either the twins didn't hear or they didn't fall for the taunt. This was not the time for already strained relations to get any worse. In addition, she and the twins felt bad enough, missing Rosa's end by hours.

And what of that Chronogy pulse? She didn't notice any time passing when they left the building. After the first time, she took a thorough examination of the area and could tell the difference, but there was none the second time. Whoever was doing this knew she was catching on. And considering her limited use and knowledge of chronogy, she was following a fox in a blizzard.

After another fifteen minutes, the funeral procession reached the site designated for the queen. Just a stone's throw away from the westernmost side of the moat, a clear hill with a single large tree stood as a symbol of Baron's longevity.

Nothing was said as the bearers, using strong ropes, slowly lowered the coffin into the pit where Rosa would rest.Rydia whispered a final farewell to her friend as the coffin was finally out of sight. The once vibrant forest it wasIt was so hard to imagine someone that she'd known for so long would just pass away so abruptly.

She shook her head and whispered, "Too young..." Rosa was only fifty-two years old and a grandmother. One of the worst things to think about was Terrance and his two younger siblings had lost their mother. Rydia was all too familiar to that sort of pain.

Scanning the forlorn faces of the friends, she noticed Edward and his wife, Ashe Flondell. The ninja that had at one time seemed so haughty and foolish now was a paragon of dignity to his people. From what the summoner had heard, aside from a political marriage between his and her families, the ninja king had to do everything he could to prove that the infamous tomboy princess was not superior to him. They had figuratively fought each other into marriage.

Rydia was happy that the ninja had finally let go of his desire of the summoner and had still left his heart open enough to accept one that would love him. It was bittersweet to Rydia. Though, a part of her missed his persistence and confident attitude.

When the crowd began to disperse, Rydia kept her eyes locked on Cecil as he stood by the gravestone. Like a statue, he remained motionless as a thunderbolt crashed overhead. The summoner could not help but sympathize with him. She was one of the first to discover that he would be living for a longer time than most. In theory, he could possibly outlive his own grandchildren, thanks to his unique heritage. And therein lay his curse. Maybe Zemus knew Cecil would live long and to curse Rosa like this would make Cecil suffer all the longer.

Soon, the only people who remained were Cecil, herself, Edward, Terrance, and Benjamin. The steward spoke briefly with Terrance before turning his attention to Rydia.

"Lady Drake."

Without turning to his, she whispered back, "Yes?"

"I've spoken with the royal family and they've given their approval for me to inform you of something important."

Rydia turned to the steward with a questioning look, "What is it?"

She accepted a piece of parchment from a pocket in his coat. She held it underneath the hood of her cloak so it wouldn't get soaked from the rain as Benjamin continued.

"In her last will and testament, the Queen has requested that you, Rydia Drake of Mist, be sired the Official Guardian and Executor of the Royal family's house. This position is only offered and no offense shall be taken if you wish to decline. The Queen and King know of your trustworthiness and have understood how much you value your freedom. That is the reason why the choice is offered in the first place."

Rydia's eyes widened and her jaw dropped. "Are you serious?"

Terrance then stepped up. "Quite serious, Rydia. In the customs of our country, the rulers have always entrusted their houses to those who could never be bought."

Rydia turned and could see that the death of Terrance's mother had affected him as well. Judging by the look on his face, she could tell it was not easy for him either. Yet, knew he had to stand tall or else things could escalate out of control.

Looking back at the parchment, she read through it once more before returning it to Benjamin. She wanted to accept it for Rosa's sake, but at the same time all that was going on made her want to return to the Land of Summoned Monsters. She didn't really care what most people thought of her, but to run away from something like this would not sit well with her conscience.

She struggled with words to give them a definite answer, but to her relief, Terrance caught on and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder as Benjamin walked off. "You don't need to answer now, Rydia. We'd rather have you think about this carefully and decided when all this has passed. And speaking of which, I have a favor to ask of you."

She looked up to Cecil's son eagerly, "Anything I can do to help."

Terrance smiled a bit before continuing. "My father's been in a deep melancholy ever since the funeral and with the talks with Mysidia coming up; we've both agreed that it'd be best if he were able to get his mind off of present matters. Give him some time to rest and recover from this."

"Will you be able to handle the talks?"

Terrance nodded. "Yes. The Ambrosius twins and I have talked often before this ordeal and I'm aware of what needs to be done."

Rydia looked from the parchment to Cecil's still form and back to Terrance. "I will take him to Mist. Will a week be enough?"

"Yes. We've been planning to start the talks the day after tomorrow. With any luck, Palom, Porom, and myself will be able to find a way to keep both sides happy."

Rydia smiled weakly and took Terrance's hand. "I know you will. So, when shall we leave?"

"Tonight. We'll have anything you need by then."

She nodded as she heard a rustling from behind. She and Terrance turned to see Cecil falling upon his side, his sobs loud enough for all to hear.

Rydia turned away. She just could not face him after failing to save Rosa.

"He is stretched, on her grave and will lie there forever..." Rydia turned to see Gilbert speak calmly as if he were reciting a poem. "With his hands held in hers, he'd be sure they'd not sever.

"His apple tree, his brightness, tis time they were together for he smells of the earth and is slain by the weather." She recalled seeing him perform as a bard, but in those days, his songs were full of joy and laughter. His tone was base and morose.

"When his family thinks that he's safe in his bed, from night until morning, he is stretched at her head. Calling out to the air with tears both hot and wild; all his grief for the girl that he had loved as a child."

"The priests and the friars, behold him in dread, because he still loves her, his love and she's dead. And would still be her shelter from rain and from storm, for with her in the cold ground, he cannot sleep warm."

She walked behind him as he ended the poem and placed a hand on his shoulder, "You understand, don't you?"

Gilbert nodded, "How could I not? I had known Anna for a while and when she agreed to marry me, I felt like the happiest man in the world. When she was killed to protect me, I felt my heart shatter. I understand all too well."

Rydia could say nothing to that as he walked back to the castle.

...

From his room in the westernmost section of the castle, Anthony watched the funeral group ebb back to the castle and snorted. Rosa's death only made his job all the easier. With the King of Baron slowly slipping into lethargy, it made his two guests quite pleased.

"So, gentlemen. Have you brought the materials?"

A black wizard kept his frown on his face as he nodded, stood up, and pulled out the components of a Mysidian Firebomb. Recent advancements in the mixture of materials had made the unstable concoction all the more powerful when the bomb went off. Henceforth, it was a favorite amongst the Mysidian Separatists.

"Thank you, sir. I assure you, it will be put to good use."

The black mage's companion, a high-ranking red wizard from the house of Mayers, matched his friend's scowl. "Just as long as you keep to your end of the deal, Lord Baigan. It is bad enough we've been a puppet of Baron for as long as we have, it disgusts me to think of having to work with the son of a traitor."

Anthony feigned a hurt look, "You wound me, sir. And regardless that I have Mysidia's best interests at heart, you treat me harshly."

"Had you actually Mydian's best interests, you'd have this mess done with long ago. Our noble house wishes to ensure its future without Baron looming over our shoulder."

With a smooth smile, he bowed and placed the components in a compartment where they would not be found. "I assure you, the 'Imposter Paladin' will die and the noble houses of Mysidia will be blameless."

The red wizard soon matched Anthony's smirk. "It is a pity. The Separatists actually believe themselves heroes, fighting for their freedom of Mysidia. The fools. Now that our business is concluded, we'll take our leave."

Anthony bowed once more and the two Mysidians left quietly. The less for prying ears to listen in on, the better. He turned to the shadows, "Benjamin, did you record all of that?"

"Yes, sir."

...

The evening had chilled Rydia's skin as she fastened the dual saddle on the back of a chocobo. Once done, she blew into her hands and rubbed her palms together to keep the warmth there. The dark green traveler's jacket, black boots, and trousers would keep her warm enough, but Mist would be even colder and she did not want to take any chances with Cecil along.

Hearing the door open, she turned to see Cecil and Terrance walk in quietly. They both looked tired and ragged to her, despite their royal attire. She gave a sad smile to the king and his son, bowed and whispered, "Your ride is ready, sire."

She lifted her head for an instant to see Cecil smile weakly.

"Thank you, Rydia."

Taking his hand, she and Terrance guided the almost lethargic king onto the saddle. She figured using a black chocobo would be fastest and would draw the least amount of attention. They both concluded that the fewer people that knew about this temporary retreat, the better. Especially with the Noble Houses of Mysidia nearby and their poorly disguised disdain of Cecil.

She turned to the prince and bowed, feeling like a vassal. "I've been able to get enough food for the trip and the mayor of Mist has agreed to keep Cecil's presence there a secret."

"I appreciate all that you've done for us, Lady Drake."

She smiled wryly, "You know me better than that, Terrance. Your father didn't gain the trust of the Summoners, Leviathan, and Bahamut by being a politician. We owe him more than we can ever hope to repay."

"I can only hope of being worthy of the trust he's placed in me."

She took his shoulder gently, "You will, Terrance. And if you'd like, I can help. I would imagine that the Executor of the Royal House is not excluded from interaction with the family."

She grew relieved when he started to smile, "Of course. I'll let Benjamin know tonight."

She nodded and hopped onto the front saddle of the chocobo and prodded it forward and into the night. Back in Mysidia, Porom sat by the open window of her office and stared at the stars in a stupor. Only one thing continued to repeat itself over in her mind.

...

An hour... sixty wretched minutes!

Her hands hurt as she balled her hands into fists, but couldn't work the rage to hit anything. If only the devil's road had not been destroyed, they could have made it.

"Hey, Sis."

Palom looked just as ragged as she did, though a noticeable stench of alcohol hung about him and his face was soaked.

"You've been drinking? Palom, why? I thought you were over that."

"I am," he did slightly wavering, "but figuring that my screwing up royally cost us a friend's life, I thought, why not?"

She was ready to berate him when the words died in her throat. Instead, her face grew sympathetic; she stood up and held her brother in a rare embrace. "It's not your fault, Palom. Rydia and I were delayed. Had we gotten there in time, we could have stopped Rosa's death long enough to administer the cure."

She felt no struggle from her brother as he slowly hugged her back. She stood tall as her brother slowly started to sob on her shoulder and soak her cloak, yet she didn't care. Truth be told, she felt just as guilty as he did. She reached up and patted her brother's head gently as tears of her own welled up in her eyes.

They were so close and yet so far from succeeding. What frustrated her even more was the callous manner in which the Noble Houses expressed their 'sympathies'. She had to hold her brother back when Dacket Mayers gave a condolence that couldn't convince a dupe. Moreover, she was just using Palom to make sure she didn't throttle the man herself.

Placing her brother on a nearby chair, she took the bottle of Silverian brandy, pulled out a pair of glasses from a cabinet, and poured them both half full.

Though groggy, Palom still had the coherence to say, "I thought you didn't drink?"

She nodded. "I don't. But if there ever was a reason not to feel anything, this would be it."

She heard her brother snicker at the comment. She noted, though, that were he sober, he would not find it as funny. With the cap back on, she put the bottle on her desk and handed the shot glass to her brother.

Her brother raised the glass high and slurred, "Rosa Farrel Harvey. You were one helluva woman, and a true friend."

She raised her own glass, "Your love, your dreams, and your hopes; they all were true. You will be missed sorely."

She tapped the rim of her glass with his before downing the strong drink in a single gulp. It didn't surprise her that the taste was as vile as rumor held. Yet, she figured it was meant to be that way, considering the hangover she would suffer the next morning.

...

Through the mists, Rydia sat passively on a chair as the sun crept upon her house from the east. Well, it wasn't her house, per se, but it was still the house she and her mother grew up in.

At her request, the townspeople had left it alone for her own use, since it was one of the few houses untouched by the fires of the false King of Baron. Years after Zemus had been defeated, she had returned to Mist to discover it still as pristine as the day she left it. Though slightly worn from the lack of use, she had maintained it and whenever she came to the surface from the land of the summoned monsters, it was always there.

Like a faithful companion, it had weathered most storms where others would have failed. Everything within had been preserved and would remain that way for as long as she lived.

Standing up from the chair, she stroked one of the pillars that held the overhand in front of the door, letting the memories of her mother return. She allowed a small smile to appear on her lips when she remembered herself, as a five year old, trying to pull the beam out in a fit of pique. Naturally, she failed. She chuckled at how her mother berated her, because she never used a harsh word in her vocabulary.

However, her smile vanished at the recollection of a few things she never knew about her mother. Walking in the door, she slowly paced up to the second floor, into her mother's room and pulled out a book from the shelf and opened it to a particular page she had opened many times before.

'Day of the Winter Solastice, three hundredth and twenty-first year of the Flame;

Damn them! Damn them all to the blackest hell ever conceived! Those wretched mages and Dragoons nearly found me out and ruined everything! Four years of work was lost when the King's Platinum Dragoons found our lair and lay waste to everything. What more, the Red Mage Guild of Mysidia had played us all for fools. We were promised their support to overthrow Baron, but that was never their intention in the first place!

Now, here I am. Stuck in the backwater hamlet I was born in and nearly penniless. Naturally, the king of Baron will be lauded a hero for 'suppressing the malcontents', with the Red Mages happily strengthening their silly political ties.'

With a despondent sigh, Rydia turned the page. She always thought her mother was the benevolent woman she remembered. Yet, the proof of her journals said otherwise. They were also of an account of a failed assassination attempt on the king. Of course, her mother failed and had escaped to Mist somehow. Entries after her return to Mist become few and far in between, until five years passed after she returned. The entries had changed quite dramatically.

'Tenth day of summer, three hundredth and twenty second year of the Soil;

Today marks one year since I was wed to a minstrel by the name of Voltaire. It is also the day where I learned I would be heavy with child. Much has changed since I was banished from Baron and returned here... I am unsure what to think.'

'Last Day of Winter, three hundredth and twenty third year of the Tides;

Woe is I. My husband has fallen ill with the Scarlet Fever and is not long for this world. Worse yet, I feel the date of our child's birth loom closer. Oh, Bahamut; what should I do should our child not have a father? I fear I will be a poor parent should I try to raise her myself.'

'Fourth day of Fall; three hundredth and twenty third year of the Gale;

It has been a month since my dear Voltaire passed away. The townspeople, despite our disagreements in the past, have helped my baby, Rydia, and me in little ways. Ways that would have made things much more difficult had they done nothing. Perhaps... in my younger days... I was wrong?'

'Twentieth day of Summer; three hundredth and twenty-fourth year of the Gale;

Rydia has started to show signs of magical ability at the tender age of four. Which is quite surprising considering that most children don't start learning magic until they're eight. Using a scrying pan, I had hoped to see what sort of future my child had. The flows of magic around my child were most curious. I saw the magic bend and move at her will. It could only mean that I have given birth to a prodigy.'

'Twelfth day of Spring; three hundredth and twenty-fifth year of the Soil;

Already, Rydia has summoned a chocobo. And she's only six years old at that! I've not disclosed this to the rest of the villagers, though I'm still wondering why I chose to keep this a secret.

Sadly, most of the other children chide Rydia about her green hair, saying she's trying to become a Kappa. Silly children... with Rydia's potential, she could become something more than a mere summoner. Something beyond even an Atevi...

Grow my child... grow strong and wise... and may the heavens forgive me for thinking ill of anyone who dares to think differently.'

Closing the book, she put it back on the shelf and wondered silently. What kind of man her father was that enabled such a change in her? What kind of person was her mother in her younger years? She had asked around the town, but most that knew had either died in the fires or had simply forgotten.

Walking down the stairs, she entered the guest room to see the slumbering Cecil. She could tell the previous day had been quite therapeutic for him. Without the mantel of kingship weighing him down, he had a chance to breathe without the pressure of a whole kingdom to constrict him. Slowly, but surely, he was recovering.

Seeing her friend sleep soundly put her at ease as she moved the covers up a bit to cover his shoulders. She couldn't help but chuckle slightly. Here she was, treating him like a child, though they were roughly the same age... looking from the right perspective maybe.

Despite her attempts to be quiet, his eyes fluttered open and he slowly sat up. She was about to close the door when she noticed his awareness.

"Morning, Cecil."

"Morning."

"Feeling better?"

The aging king nodded once, "A little. Though... there's a part of me that just can't believe she's gone."

Walking back, she sat by him on the bed and put her arm around his shoulders, "I know. I miss her too."

She leaned her head against his as he sighed, "It seems trite, but I feel cold without her."

"It's not trite. She meant a lot to you and all of us. It's only natural we feel a void where she once was."

Cecil chuckled sadly, "Here I am, supposed to be recuperating and I'm only making the heartache worse."

"No... You're letting it out. And it's better than keeping it in and letting it fester. In the meantime, if you'll give me a minute, I'll fix you something. You didn't eat much yesterday, you realize. A young man like yourself has to keep his strength up."

One of Cecil's eyebrow's cocked in surprise, "You do realize that I'm older than you are."

Rydia allowed herself a wry smile, "Of course. And because I'm the executor of the royal family's estate and their guardian, I'm going to take care of you."

Cecil nearly pouted, "I'm a grown man and more than capable of taking care of myself."

Rydia started to laugh, "Of course. Which is why you're acting like a child for not accepting help from a friend that cares about you."

He casually pointed a finger at her, trying to frown but failing, "Be careful, fairy. I'm in no mood to be pampered or mothered."

She smirked and stood up. "Which is good for you, because fairy god-mothers have notoriously explosive tempers."

To her relief, Cecil tried to give another comeback, but their fit of giggling had taken out the snappy retort before it escaped his throat.

Once she calmed down, she patted his shoulder, "I'll be back in a bit."

She was passing through the doorframe when she heard Cecil say, "Rydia."

She inclined her head to him, "Yes?"

He smiled back to her warmly, "Thank you, again."

Rydia nodded back, "You're welcome, Cecil."

...

Once Rydia left, Cecil sat against the backboard of the guest room's bed. The house he was a guest in was a small affair, but large enough to fulfill its purpose. Though the bed he had been sleeping in for the past two days was nothing like the one back at the castle, it helped him sleep soundly enough.

Crossing his legs, he leaned forward and cradled his head on his palms, trying to keep his thoughts in order. He was distracted so much, he failed to notice the mists from outside beginning to creep into his room.

With the mists, a woman that resembled Rydia walked to the side of his bed, yet did not face him. Only for an instant, her passive gaze traveled over him.

"Be wary, holy paladin..." the woman whispered, sounding like a distant echo, "...though your deeds and tears have blessed my grave and saved my child, I fear for you..."

She turned away from him, "...from the other world, I can see the darkness beginning to encroach upon your mind."

Her face soon took a sad countenance as her form began to vanish. "I beg you, paladin... do not falter in your faith in your friends and beliefs..."

He looked to his right, imagining someone talking to him. But all he heard was an echo, with nothing but sound and a fleeting fury, signifying nothing.

...

With shifting eyes, Anthony walked from the main antechamber, confirming that no one was watching him. The talks were coming along smoothly, as he expected since Cecil's son was in charge. Yet, something seemed amiss to him, since Cecil was the one who was supposed to be in there. He had checked the king's room, but was shooed away by the maid, telling him that the king needed his rest.

Well, it didn't matter anyway. His 'contacts' had assured him that there was enough power in the bomb to practically flood the upper levels of the castle. By the time it would be controlled, Cecil and his family would long be burnt to a cinder.

Checking a clock, he noticed that it was nearly time for the bomb to go off. The sooner he went to his usual check with the outer guards, the less suspicious it would seem. After all, he was only the captain of the guard. Diplomacy was never his forte.

Calmly moving down the steps, he thought to himself, "King Anthony... sounds nice."

An explosion and a rumble behind him interrupted his thoughts. Looking back for an instant, he turned to see the flames spreading quickly, racing across the floor to anyone foolish enough to be caught. Not wasting a second, he ran with all haste to the entrance, screaming to other servants and personnel to run for their lives.

Running with all the momentum he could gather, he broke through a door, allowing others to escape the blaze.

"Move! Hurry!" he said ushering several white mages in training to the main courtyard. As much as it galled him to admit it, he was starting to regret trusting Mysidian nobles.

Within minutes, any and all survivors were able to escape. However, to the shock of everyone, save for Anthony, none of the royal family had escaped.

Looking at his slightly burnt hands, he frowned and thought, "So... that's how you want to play this game. Well, then, you've made your move and have taken my rooks and knights. Yet, in your arrogance, you've left your king wide open."

...

Amid the commotion, none of the staff noticed Baigan's underling, Benjamin, carrying a small bundle in his arms. Quickly, he ran towards the Old Water Way and hopping into the trench, he ran to the rear end of the castle. The bundle in his arms started to move and a baby's voice began to cry, not knowing whom was carrying him.

"Shh, it's ok." Benjamin said, trying to soothe the baby. Though he wanted to sympathize with the baby, he needed to run quickly. If Anthony found out that he had smuggled the King's grandson out before the bomb exploded, he'd surely kill them both.

"There you are!" a woman's voice said.

Looking up, Benjamin started towards the woman sitting atop the chocobo. With quick, yet smooth, steps, he walked to the large bird, stepped out of the water way, and handed her the baby gently.

He nodded as she brought the child to her torso and laid it against her shoulder to make it more comfortable. Waiting for his next order, he stood passively by the unmoving bird.

His eyes met her as she smiled from the baby to him, "Well done, Benjamin."

"Thank you, my lady."

He was about to turn back when a momentary thought brought him back.

"My lady, a question, if I may ask?" His inquiry delayed her departure.

She seemed unperturbed looking back to him. "Yes?"

"What is your name? Or should I ask, what was your name?"

Her smile fascinated and frightened him at the same time. "Depends on which name you refer to. Nina, Tifa, Alexis, Lenna. They all served the same purpose."

Satisfied, Benjamin turned back to the waterway, an eventually, the next king of Baron.

End of Chapter 4

Notes: Finally, you see the TRUE inspiration behind the creation of this fic. Edward's little 'poem' is actually "I am stretched on your grave' by the (unfortunately) broken band, Dead Can Dance. The singer has a haunting baritone voice, singing of a love that is meant to endure beyond death, yet it's next to impossible to let go. I was able to imagine Cecil lying on Rosa's grave... it seemed so him.

A side note: Benjamin is a FF Mystic Quest reference. Despite it not being the best of games, it still stuck with me.

C&C is appreciated... especially detailed C&C.

All FF related material belongs to SquareEnix.


	5. Chapter 5

The child sat across from him as Cecil sharpened his sword. Both of them could feel the tension in the air as the troops in the castle were starting to grow restless. He looked up to her and tried to give a reassuring smile, but it was in vain.

The King of Fabul and the remaining forces knew they were going to be in for a rough ride, which was why Cecil and his group had volunteered to move the civilians out of the town and to safety. Now, only the skeleton forces of the castle and volunteers watched the skies, waiting with what few anti-aircraft guns they could find, to prepare for the upcoming battle.

The Red Wings had attacked Damcyan nearly two weeks ago and Cecil knew that if Baron moved through the motions of refueling and such, they could very well attack within the next day or two. Thankfully, Fabul had prepared all that it could, though it didn't need to be said that it still wasn't enough.

"What's gonna happen?" Rydia said, curling into a ball against the headboard.

"Well... we're going to defend the kingdom. We're going to try and hold off as long as we can until the envoys to Tororia, Silvera, and Agart reach them. If we're lucky, then we can hold the siege until help arrives."

Rydia's power of perception never ceased to amaze him as she asked further, "What if they don't get there in time?"

He looked to her frightened eyes and said calmly. "They have to. And our defense will hold." He held up his jagged dark sword to the candles, examining the work his sharpening stone had done. "Though I owe the king much, on what little honor I do have left, I will not let him do as he pleases...."

"Did you know the king?" she asked.

He nodded. "Yes. He was like a father to me. You know that I never knew my parents. So, in a way, I am like the king's adopted son."

"Shouldn't you be a prince, then?"

Odd images of him wearing foppish clothes brought an unwanted smile and laugh to him. "No. I felt too much obligated to the king to even think of anything else besides serving him. That is why I took up the Dark Sword and the Oath of the Shadow at his request."

"What's that?"

"Well, the Oath of the Shadow is like... well, it's almost like the same way the Summoners interact with their Aeons. However, the Dark Knights make a vow to the Judge of the Dead that they will administer justice to the living. And for an exchange of life force from the knight, he can use the power of the 'wronged', or the spirits of those who were robbed of their life, to aid him in battle."

"Isn't that dangerous?"

"Yes. When used unwisely or in excess. That's why a sound mind is one of the most important things a Dark Knight must have or else he will do wrong."

He was about to continue when he took another look at her and realized what he had said. A sound mind was something he did not have when he raided Mysidia and Mist. And even now, he still continued to call the powers of the Shadow when he was not worthy.

"Excuse me for a minute..." He stood up and walked out. He could tell she was wondering why he had to leave, but she thankfully remained still as he went to one of the darker corners of the courtyard. After a brief glance, grateful no one was there, he pulled out 'Opacus', the sword he had carried since his initiation and thrust its blade into the ground.

Kneeling in front of the handle, he began to whisper, "Judge of the Dead... I ask thee... my offenses have left me in much turmoil. I have acted without justice due to my loyalties. Yet, I seek not to excuse myself. I am without guidance and without a path to take. I feel alone and know not what to do..."

For a full minute, he remained still. Every time his appeals to the Judge were made, he had received an answer in one form or another. However, ever since the day he had raided Mysidia, the Judge had been deathly silent. Several times he attempted to reach him in the past, but still received no answer.

With a audible sigh, he let his head hit the handle and knew he was resigned to his fate. The Judge had abandoned him and he was no longer worthy to mete out justice.

A sneeze drew him around to see Rydia peeking around a wall. She gasped and hid again, but he had already seen her.

"Rydia... step out, please."

He stood up as she walked out with her head hung low. The meager light of the moon fell through the windows and onto her. It was almost an epiphany to his eyes. It was the same scene back in Kaipo. Events like this were not coincidental.

He held back a gasp at the sight when he realized what this could mean. Slowly, a smile grew as he bowed his head and whispered, "My thanks to you, Judge."

He looked back to the child, sheathed his sword, and walked to her. Her head was still bowed in shame as he knelt by her. "How much did you see?"

Rydia appeared a bit scared as she looked up to him. "I couldn't hear what you said, but I did see you praying. I'm sorry."

Smiling, he gently gathered the child into his arms. "Don't worry about it. Let's get back to the room. You need your rest."

Her smile and subsequent embrace around his neck made the upcoming events seem a bit less urgent. Though he was no prophet or seer, he had a feeling that this child could be part of the answer he was searching for.

...............

Opening his eyes slowly, he looked to the sun's rays pouring into the room he knew resided in. He threw his legs over the side of the bed and watched the light from the window crawl to the floor as it made unusual patterns on the wood from the cloud cover.

How strange that he would remember that night, the day before the three-day siege of Fabul. He would have to ask some of the scyers about seeing visions of the past in dreams when he returned to Baron. Leaving that train of thought for the present, he took a moment to listen to he activity outside.

It was always so quiet in Mist. He remembered the calm of the day he and Kain first entered the town. All he heard was the sound of the wind running through his ears, the birds chirping, and a small stream on the outskirts of the village.

A woman's voice whispered, "It was beautiful, wasn't it?"

He blinked and looked around for the source of the voice, but found no one. Stepping into the hallway, he looked around the adjacent kitchen to find no one else with him.

"Who's there?" he said, wishing he had Excalibur with him.

Breath, cold as winter, caressed his neck as the same voice from earlier whispered into his ear, "Wouldn't you like to know..."

He whirled around to find a faded image with little detail. However, it was definitely in the shape of a woman. There were only patches of her skin visible, but they seemed pale as death. The robe she appeared to wear brought the image of fresh blood to his mind and countless strands of silver cascaded from her head as though she hovered in water.

He stepped backward and looked into the shadows that could have been the eyes of this woman. "Who are you?"

The contours on the woman's face gave the impression of a smirk. "No one of consequence."

Cecil stood his ground and frowned, "Somehow, I doubt that. People of little consequence never send an image as an envoy."

The woman began to chuckle in amusement. "Not an image, your highness. An echo. And with this echo, comes a warning."

"I know that danger can appear in any form at any time. And lack of vigilance can become quite costly."

The woman laughed in scorn. "Ah, and of course, the mighty Paladin King has never failed his vigil, even when his children and grandchildren lie in ashes."

Cecil's eyes widened in shock and rage at the announcement, "What manner of monster are you?! What do you hope to gain by telling me lies?!"

His visitor laughed with such derision that he instinctively drew his fist back and threw it through what could have been her head. Unfortunately, he hit only thin air as he stumbled to the floor.

The laugh continued to reverberate through his ears, but soon died out as he got to his feet. He waited long for another response, but only heard silence and the sound of birds from the outside. Whoever it was, they knew he was here when he should have made it to Mist in secret. And the stranger's cryptic words. An echo? What could the woman had meant by that?

...

Emerging through the crowded bazaar of Mist, Rydia marveled at how much the town had grown since she last returned. Yet, what still surprised her was how many of these people once lived in Mysidia. From what the mayor had informed her of, many of these people were of the 'lowest' caste of Mysidian society and therefore shunned by the noble houses. She begrudgingly remembered Lana when she heard of the bigotry of the higher mage families. Since they had no chance with the noble houses' influence, they traveled to Mysidia, where through their own industry, they brought new life into the once fledgling hamlet. With their inclusion also came newer blood since many of the older summoner lines were starting to thin out. Mist would survive and grow, thankfully.

On her way back to her house, Rydia could not help but feel something was wrong. Even trying to hear the chatter from the crowds got more difficult since many of them were speaking in whispers for reasons she couldn't fathom.

She even tried to speak to someone coming from Baron, but he had politely asked her to leave him alone. Now she was getting worried.

"Rydia! Rydia!"

Whirling around, she turned to see the slightly pudgy mayor of Mist attempting to reach her without running over everyone in front of him. To her relief, they thought nothing of him when he passed. To her frustration, he was panting quiet heavily, having only run from his house on the other side of the Bazaar.

"Taylor, what's wrong?" she asked bringing him aside.

Between breaths, the man said quickly, "Is Cecil still here?"

"Yes, he's still back at my house. Why? What's going on?"

Gathering his courage, Taylor continued, "Just yesterday, the Separatists attacked Baron, during the peace talks. Everyone at the conference, including the royal family, was burned to death."

Rydia's mouth hung open in stunned shock. She did not just hear what Taylor had said. Terrance, his siblings and their children were dead? No, it couldn't be true!

Leaning against the wall of a building, she said, "I can't believe it... this can't be happening... it can't be!"

"Well, at least Cecil's ok."

"No... Taylor, just the other day, his wife passed on. I assume you heard the news."

"Oh no."

"I brought him here so he could recover from losing Rosa. And one way or another he's going to learn that his children and grandchildren are dead! What am I supposed to tell him?!"

"I don't know!"

Feeling her anger rise to a threshold, she whacked against the wall with the back of her fist. Bad enough Zemus committed all those heinous crimes all those years ago; it really put Rydia off to see humans doing this to each other.

"Taylor, I have a favor to ask of you."

"Yes?"

"When I return to my house, I'm going to fix something for Cecil to eat. Then, I will tell him that I have some business to attend to in Silvera. During that time, I want you to take care of him. Guard him with your life and make sure no one knows that he's here."

"What are you going to do?"

"What else?" she said before turning to him with a rage flaring through her eyes that no one had ever seen, "I am going to find the one responsible for this and make them pay!"

"You can't be serious! If it's the Separatists that did it, then you may as well try to bring the Lunarian Moon back."

"No, Taylor," Rydia said as she started back towards her house, "the reason why they've never been found is because they hide in the shadows. And what they never counted on was I having friends there. They can run all they want, I'll still find them."

"Rydia..."

"Don't try to stop me, Taylor. I'm not going to let a bunch of terrorists think they can do as they please."

Taylor was about to speak, but reconsidered his first choice of words for some different ones. "Very well... Rydia, be careful. Don't get too caught up in all this, or else you may be no better than the ones that started it."

Rydia was about to retort when she whispered to herself with a hint of irony, "Just like Bahamut told me... heroes must be careful when vanquishing evil, for it creates a vacuum that must be filled."

She turned back to him and said, "I'll be careful, Taylor."

...

Bursting open the doors to the main assembly halls, Porom Ambrosious stomped to the center of the council. "What is the meaning of this?!" She wasn't concerned over their shocked expressions as she glared at each of the present council members, her brother excluded.

One of the red mages stood, "What are you referring to, councilwoman?"

Porom slammed the offensive piece of paper in front of him. "I was just informed that the King of Baron and his family were assassinated by a Firebomb using Mysidian techniques! Not only that, because it is used by the Separatists, the rest of Baron is pointing the finger at us! Now someone please tell me why I was not informed of this development sooner?!"

Maester Ronan Heartily stood up meekly, "Well, we just found out ourselves a short while earlier."

She turned a tired and bloodshot eye towards the smaller man, "Be that as it may, Heartily, as the Head of the Mage Council, it is my duty to be the first to know. Considering that Baron is now being swept up in Anti-Mysidian propaganda, our representatives are dead, and the Separatists are throwing a minor celebration in whatever hole they live in; it would be most wise for us all if we attempted to diffuse the situation as quickly as possible."

To the surprise of everyone around, including Porom, Maester Dackat Mayers stood up and spoke with a contrary air. "Is that really wise, Councilwoman? I mean, the Separatists have despised the King of Baron for as long as they can remember the Crystal Wars."

Her brother, previously rubbing his head from the hangover, stood up and retorted, "Oh, give me a break, Dackat. Judging by how any of the Separatists we've caught, they were most likely not even being conceived when the Crystal War ended. They were fed a bunch of chocobo turds by merchants that lost their business when Baron assisted in the reconstruction."

Folding her arms, Porom continued, "I concur. In addition, were it not for Baron's assistance, we would still be nothing more than a few farmers with mere pitchforks to defend ourselves with."

Dackat remained resolute, "Are you so certain of that? We have a tradition of magic that reaches long before Baron was even instigated and yet we are strewn along like a petulant child for the reconstruction. Building our buildings according to 'their' designs. Creating materials using 'their' techniques."

Much to Porom's chagrin, it appeared that Dackat's silver tongue was starting to influence the rest of the council. "And what do you suppose we should have done? Wallow in the mud after the devastation caused by Golbez and Zemus? In case you have forgotten, Dackat, we had little to nothing. With any luck, we could restore ourselves to a town after the wars with what we had then. Accept the truth, Dackat. The Paladin King was true to his word and because we accepted his aid, we have emerged stronger than before the wars. Though we have yet to achieve the status of Crescent, we are far better off swallowing our pride and accepting the fact that our pedestal was smashed by our arrogance and restored by the Paladin's virtue. No, Dackat, this act of cowardice by the Separatists was nothing more than the tantrum of a petty spoiled child. And by having the Paladin dead, we may as well have sealed our fate. Cecil changed Baron into the benevolent giant from the tyrant it once was. And with Cecil gone, the tyranny may return unless we find a way to douse a flame before it becomes an inferno to consume us all!"

Despite her exhaustion, Porom felt she stood taller than Dackat and all the other praise seekers that he associated with. Even the rest of the council was stunned to silence. Her relief came when her brother came into her line of sight and gave her a smirk that spoke of how proud he was of her.

Turning back to Dackat, she stared him straight in the eyes, challenging him to try and refute her. Yet, both she and Palom knew that Dackat was not stupid and knew a losing battle when he saw one. To her relief, he stepped down.

With a sigh, she returned to her seat amongst the table where the council sat. "Now then, since we have that order of business out of the way, we need to prepare a statement for the Baronian people. I know it may not be much, but it is certainly better than doing nothing."

...

"Cecil? Oh, there you are," Rydia said walking through the door with her food satchel over her shoulder.

"Rydia," he replied in all seriousness, "Has there been any reports of specters haunting this area of town?"

She caught onto his apprehension. "No. By all rights, the spirits have been dispersed and exorcized. I would have known if there was something here. Why do you ask?"

He turned back to where the previous visitor once was. "Because there was someone or something here speaking to me. It said it was an echo, not a projected image."

She walked past him and held out her free hand to sense any sort of distortion in the Ether. He walked to her side when he noticed a frightened look in her eyes.

"Chronogy..." she whispered.

"What?"

"It was another Chronogy pulse. Just like the ones in Mysidia."

"What exactly is that?"

"It's a noticeable surge of the energy that moves time forward. The Land of Summoned Monsters is swimming in it. And unlike most other ethereal elements, Chronogy has qualities that no one can understand. And sensing a pulse in this is usually only found in Stop, Slow, and Haste ranked spells, but they've never been as strong as this."

"Do you suppose someone may have found the answer?"

She shook her head as she walked back to the kitchen and placed the food she purchased on the table. "There are intelligences that can move at will through the time stream, but they never show themselves to people like us. However, for someone to make an 'echo' as you said, then we may have a problem."

He looked down in thought. "It spoke to me, saying that my children and grandchildren were dead."

He whirled around when he heard a plate shatter on the ground. Rydia was staring at him in utter shock, her hands limp where the plate she was carrying once was.

"Are... are you serious?"

He nodded. "It's a frightening thought. However, I didn't believe it. If it was a specter, then it was probably preying on my fears."

She continued to stare at him as she began to spreads some fruit on the table. "It's a normal occurrence with those things. I'll have to take some time to research this at Mysidia."

He took a seat and then looked up to her, "Are you leaving?"

"For a few days, yes. I also have to speak to the Twins about something. As soon as we're done with breakfast, I'll be going. Until then, I'd like you to stay here."

He nodded. "I understand. If all goes well, I can return to Baron as soon as you return."

"Feeling up to dealing with the political rhetoric again?"

He smiled wryly. "Not really, but I can't stay here for too long, otherwise people may get suspicious."

Rydia snorted in reply. "Oh please. The only reason why Terrance and I suggested we come here alone was that you didn't need the affairs of the kingdom to weigh you down. I don't believe in kings that never take a respite from all the work."

He considered the orange slice in his hand before taking a bite. "Perhaps you're right."

Then, they ate their meal in silence. Their respective secrets killed any hope of future conversation.

Though Cecil did not wish to brood on the echo's warning, he couldn't help but feel that something was wrong. It gnawed at the back of his mind, just out of sight, but always there. If it was the truth... no, it couldn't have been.

The meal eventually ended and Rydia stood up to take care of their plates and silverware. He was walking past the table when his gaze fell upon the shattered pieces of the plate Rydia once carried. His reflection in the glass was faint, but still visible. He found himself trying to find more detail in his aging face when he discovered his reflection was no longer the one he saw initially. All he saw were shadows.

"Cecil," Rydia said, putting her hand on his shoulder. "Are you alright?"

He looked back to her when he realized that he was perspiring a bit. He shook his head and held a palm to his temple and said, "I'm fine... just didn't sleep as well as I thought. I'm going to prepare myself a bath, you go on."

He could tell she knew something bothered him. However, her business needs to take precedence at the moment. He was walking back to the guest room when he heard her speak,

"Cecil... remember the Caller's Vow? Back in Giott's kingdom? It still stands, even after all this time."

He paused for a moment, remembering how she knelt before him and said that she would remain true to the cause of the Paladin's. Everyone at the time was rather shocked, since the Caller's Vow was only heard of in legends, just like the Paladin itself.

It was a vow of such strength that any Summoner that broke it was stripped of their power and left to die by the powers they once wielded.

Without turning to her, he said with complete confidence, "I remember and I shall never doubt your loyalty. Let it be known that I trust you, High Summoner Rydia Drake. In duty, conscience, truth, and reality, with my life."

Hoping that would placate her worries, he grew relieved when he heard her whisper, "Thank you." He heard nothing more of her as she stepped out of the house.

...

"I can't believe this... within a week, Baron is given a new king when the people believe the old one to be dead." Porom grumbled.

"You think he's still alive?" Palom whispered to his sister from beneath his hands.

"He has to be... Cecil should have been out of the castle by the time the talks started," Porom muttered, looking over the report from her contacts in Baron received just that morning. She looked up to her brother, "And what about your contacts in the Noble Houses?"

"Well, it's obvious the Mayers and Klausers are jumping for joy behind close doors. Heartily's keeping quiet and the Strifes are just a step below the other two."

The head councilwoman stood up and cupped her hands behind her back. "And now, we have the coronation of the new king of Baron coming up." Palom's lips dropped into a vicious frown, "Baigan... the punk's no better than his pop..."

She nodded. "Ostensibly so. I only met the man once. However, I can still feel that man's slithering gaze under my skin. I loathe it. It was the same feeling I got when we met his father, only there was no 'gift' from Golbez."

Palom stood up and walked to his window. "I bet you anything he did it. Revenge for his father. It'd fit. The Captain of the Guard has always been the next in line after the royal family."

She sighed and shook her head, "I want to agree, but the fact is we have no proof. In addition, Baron's magical materials aren't as well refined as ours are. Which makes it all the easier for Baron to blame us."

A breeze lifted Palom's locks as an odd thought came to mind. "Malcontents..."

"Hm?"

"What if there were people in Baron that weren't exactly happy with Cecil?"

"How do you figure?"

Palom turned to his sister. "I recall a short while back, one of my contacts in Mayer mentioned that the nobles in Baron were grumbling because Cecil was able to lower the tax rate due to the kingdom's prosperity. Get a few greedy nobles in the Baronian infrastructure and you got a clear case of greed leading to murder."

Catching on, she added, "And do you suppose that the Baronian nobles could have been in liege with the Noble Houses?"

A small smirk grew on his lips, "Any enemy of my enemy is my friend... wouldn't surprise me in the least to hear Dackat say that. He's not the smartest, but knows opportunity when he sees it. He was the one that tried to lynch Cecil when he washed up on shore all those years ago. And he didn't lose anything except his lucrative business at the time."

Porom stepped to her brother and whispered, "Are you saying that the Separatists may be innocent?"

He nodded, "Yeah. Dackat's got the connections the Separatists wished they had. He's got ties to Agart, Silvera, and even as far as Tororia. Most bombs are made in Agart because of their proximity to the volcano. The magic in Silveran Pure is a perfect catalyst for a firebomb. And what better way to disguise its magical signature than a magnetic field made from a shell crafted in the Toroian mines?"

Porom gave her brother a look of complete surprise. "Amazing... all of that you've deduced yourself?"

He shook his head. "No... It's just the result of a lot of thinking, a little luck, and good timing." He then smirked at her once more, "And a couple hundred smacks to the head from an overly violent sister."

"That's not funny, brother dear. But even with all that, we still need proof of Dackat's involvement."

Palom walked to the door and as he stepped through, he said with a smile, "Give me a week. Then we'll have Dackat on trial. And once that turkey's cooked, I'm gonna throw the book at him so hard he won't be able to smirk anymore."

Porom smiled back at her brother as he walked out of sight. She couldn't help but admire his resolve when the right set of circumstances was presented.

Walking back to her own office, she felt her spirits lift a bit with recent developments.

"Lady Ambrosious!" an aide of hers cried running up the stairs with a few scrolls in her arms.

"What is it?"

"We got those results for the blood tests you wanted. And I think you should see these!" she said as she brought Porom to a secluded corridor.

Opening the first scroll, she looked at the results and readings the recently developed technique of blood printing. Upon reading the results for hers and her brother's, she read them once more to make sure she was not mistaken.

"Are you sure these are correct?"

"We tested them several times, ma'am. There's no mistake."

Porom sighed and handed one of the scrolls back to the aide. It appeared things weren't going to be any easier for them.

"Anything else?"

"Yes. There have been several reports of a Black Knight running around several towns in the south. It hasn't done any harm to civilians, but it's brutally killed convicted criminals and bandits. The people are getting scared and don't know what to do."

Porom closed her eyes, thinking what would be best to do, but anything she could do only presented more problems. However, an unusual answer appeared. It was strange enough that it was too good to resist. "Prepare a black chocobo for tomorrow. I'm going to investigate this matter personally."

The aide blinked. "Ma'am? What about the council?"

"My brother can keep them in line when I can't. And if you see him before I do, tell him he has full permission to... hm, 'rip them a new one' as he would put it, if they cause trouble." She then handed the aide the last scroll. "Any thing else?"

"Yes. We've gotten reports that Lady Drake is roaming the woods east of here and she's causing a havoc."

"What?! What for?"

"She's found the Separatists."

...

The young man landed with a grunt among his friends as they found themselves staring at their possible death.

Letting the lightning dance around her body, Rydia advanced with an air of invincibility. In reality, they couldn't do a thing to her. They were nothing more than a bunch of boys in their twenties with no real talent for magic. However, what they lacked in magic, they excelled in their trade.

"So then," Rydia said, gathering a sphere of lighting around her body, "how shall we proceed?"

The largest man in the group screamed, "This is none of your business, beast whore..."

"SILENCE!" she screamed, causing the room to quake. For her level of skill, all that required for a small tremor was a mere thought, yet she had to restrain herself before she killed them all prematurely. Amid the shaking, the same splitting headache she had experienced before returned in force. However, she pushed the pain out and returned her attention to the matter at hand. "How dare you say such things when the blood of innocent people are on your hands?!"

She drew her whip out and throwing the energy of her lightning into the chain, she caught the other man by his ankle and let the bolt claim its target. Within seconds the man collapsed, not dead, but seriously injured.

With the lightning gone, her foes started to disperse, hoping to surround her. However, within seconds, a ring of flame gathered around her.

Drawing the edge of her whip to her hands, she sent them all a challenging glare, "Who wishes to die first? I'm sure the royal family would rest better knowing their murderers did not enjoy their victory for long."

The remaining men then stopped their advance and then looked to one another.

"What... what are you talking about? We had nothing to do with that!" One young man spoke up nervously.

Rydia's glare centered on the one that dared to deny their guilt. However, the look of confusion in his eyes was beginning to tell her otherwise.

Letting the flames die down, she turned to the shadows and asked, "Does he speak the truth, Indra?"

The ancient sage appeared in a bolt of lighting, took a glance at the young man before stroking his beard. "Yes... he speaks the truth." Putting her whip back on the holster in her best, she continued, "Then what about the Devil's Road being attacked?"

Feeling bolder, the young man spoke up, "That wasn't us either. It was the Noble Houses."

Rydia turned to Indra, the same question in her eyes. To her shock, the Aeon nodded again. She turned back to the group of young men in front of her, realizing that she had made a terrible mistake.

Walking forward, she pulled out a High Potion from her pack before pouring it over the man she had shocked earlier. Thankfully, the man's companions didn't stop her. "Tell me... what's going on?"

The same young man continued. "Well... most people think that we're fighting against Baron. But that's not true. We're fighting against the aristocracy of Baron and the Noble Houses. We've been doing so for years. Unfortunately, the Noble Houses manipulate the information to make us look like the bad guys."

Stepping up to him, she asked, "So... do you think that the Noble Houses knew that the Twins and I were close to discovering a cure for Rosa and they made sure we wouldn't get there in time?"

The man nodded, "I know so. One of the children from the Noble Houses delivered it to the building herself."

She turned to the general direction of Mysidia, fresh rage consuming her mind. "...Lana..." She was about to stomp out of the cavern when a hand grabbed her shoulder, restricting her movement.

"No... this is our fight, Summoner. We know what you're trying to do, but we have to take care of this ourselves, or else we'll never be free from those stupid traditions that have kept the Noble Houses in power."

She removed her shoulder from his grip and then turned to their motley bunch. "Of course. With what little you do have, I'm sure you'll be able to take them down in about a century or two."

Another man spoke up, "Not true! We have help."

Rydia cocked a cynical eye, "Oh really? Who would this be?"

"Lady Drake!" a familiar voice cried from behind her.

She whirled around to see the person in question and gaped.

"Her," the man said, pointing at the panting and sweat laden Porom Ambrosious.

...

He wasn't sure what woke him. Yet, all he knew was that he was awake. Leaning up, he pulled himself out of the oval shaped chamber that served as his bed and slowly placed his bare feet against the cold floor.

He looked up to the ceiling, showing the universe as it was, yet he knew where he was looking. Walking past many more chambers like his own, he paced forward to the central antechamber ahead.

It was strange. The sleep he went through was unlike anything he had ever known. However, most of his life was lived in darkness, so his opinion on such matters could not be trusted.

Despite the cold floor stinging his feet, he walked through another passageway to the main entrance. Passing a throne, he walked down the stairs to the entrance.

"What is wrong?" an sagely, yet powerful, voice inquired.

He turned around and discovered the form of the guardian materializing on the throne. The simple azure robe he wore seemed pale in comparison to the exquisitely kept white beard that cascaded down his chest.

The young man turned back to the endless night before whispering,

"It's my brother."

End of chapter 5

First off: All things Final Fantasy belong to SquareEnix.

Second: I know I took a few liberties with the logistics of the jobs Cecil and Rydia had, but it seems to work, I think. If you don't think so, let me know in detail. I'd like to hear people's input.

Third: The person Cecil met is not an original character. Besides, I got enough un-original characters mucking up the story as it is.

Fourth: A very important note: Cecil's comment on trusting Rydia 'In duty, conscience, truth, and reality' is a reference to my favorite Final Fantasy Tactics fanfic of the same name. Written by Harvey Bautista. I suggest you read it for a beautiful platonic romance. And it makes me jealous how well the author writes.

Fifth: Is it just me or is there a definite lack of fics that have the Twins as major players? It's a sad thing, I think. They got more potential than people give them credit.

Sixth: All the pseudo-science/mysticism should not be taken seriously in anyway shape or form. In other words... I don't know what the heck I'm talking about some of the time.

Last: I want to thank Stealth Noodle for all the nit picking and that by the next chapter, those silly boo-boos will be taken care of. And the same humble request for nit picking goes out to the rest of you. Yes, all three of you that bothers to read my nonsense.

In closing; it's really true that when you got a story going, it writes itself.


	6. Chapter 6

From beside the bed Cecil rested on, Rydia took a second to look out the window and to the ocean from the western side of the castle.

Fabul was a beautiful place. The castle and town was surrounded by a massive forest. Countless acres of the trees provided a vast variety of fruits for the people. Also, what little land they did use for farmland was used very sparingly. It was like the people of Fabul lived in harmony with nature.

However, much of the surrounding forests had been razed and chopped down to make room for the inhuman foot soldiers that assulted the castle the week before. The town was in ruins and the populace was furiously trying to rebuild what they could.

Turning back to the bed, she reached out and held her guardian's hand gently, hoping he would return to conciousness soon. The bandages on his torso were red with a lot of blood, long since dried. Her meager healing magics were too weak to even attempt to close the wounds and most of the white mages in the castle were either killed or in serious condition themselves.

But she could tell that the scars on his body weren't the only thing that was hurting him.

The one called Kain had betrayed Cecil. She watched helplessly from the shadows as Cecil's friend ruthlessly assaulted him. She wanted to help Cecil, but the appearence of the one called Golbez stayed her hand. She felt even worse when he kidnapped Rosa and left with the crystal. Though she was able to bring them to their feet with her cure spell, it wasn't enough, for as soon as they left the chamber, Cecil stumbled and fell unconcious, for the wounds he sustained were worse than they all thought.

Now, here she was, watching over the man who once watched over her with his life barely pulled out of death's grasp.

"Child," the parental voice of Yang Fang Leiden came from behind her, "you need to rest too. I can understand your concern, but all that can be done is for him to rest. You don't need to watch over him."

Rydia looked down to the floor and twirled her foot slowly, "I know... but I don't wanna be alone and... I won't leave him."

Though it was true he was all she had left, she felt a feeling whenever he was around. It was a good feeling. He had done so much for her after all that happened and it made her feel better. Maybe, this was what it was like to have a father. She never saw her own father. She remembered he and Rosa talking about adopting her, maybe that would mean Cecil could be her father for real.

All she knew was that she didn't want to leave his side.

She looked up to see the warrior considering her words carefully. "So as the father lion protects the cubs, so shall the cubs protect the father." He smiled and patted her smaller head, "So be it."

She beamed happily. "Thank you, Yang." She then returned to her vigil of Cecil as Yang took a seat of his own.

"He will be asleep for another day or so. By then, we'll have the shipment of healing potions from Silvera to help in the recovery. We owe him much, the number of wounded and dead would have been a lot higher had he not told us," Yang said idly.

She looked to him. "Is Fabul going to be alright?"

Yang nodded solemnly, "Yes, but it will be years before we'll back back to our full strength. The main force we had no longer exists and most of our guards are initiates with little experience. We are now at the mercy of anyone that desires to invade."

Rydia wanted to say something to help, but nothing came. Instead, she inquired, "what are we going to do now?"

The warrior shrugged. "I'm not sure. If there's any sort of offensive to be launched against Baron, we need Cecil's help and he's in no condition to do anything right now."

"Darling," Yang's wife, Yue Xiang Leiden said entering the infirmary, "there you are. The king wishes to see you."

He nodded and gave Rydia a farewell glance before meeting his wife at the door.

Rydia smiled as Yue Xiang embraced her husband and he returned the gesture. Rydia was glad to have met the motherly and surprisingly strong wife of their friend. Aside from the stream of well kept velvet-colored hair, the dresses she wore made Rydia green with envy.

She and her mother never had much money and never had the chance to wear such beautiful clothes. She had complained to a few of her schoolmates that she wanted to at least see what the beautiful dresses of the North looked like instead of constantly looking at the plain and dull tunics of the Western Countries.

She wanted to say Yue Xiang walked over to her, but the floor length skirt and her controlled gait made her believe she had floated over to her side. "If you wish, Rydia dear, you could help me change his dressings?"

She nodded and remembered how ornate the Fabulian styles were. Though the Jiawen jacket Yue Xiang wore was one of the simpler pieces of clothing of their culture, Rydia hoped to be able to aquire her own someday. It was so pretty.

As she assisted in redressing the bandages, her sorrow returned at seeing her guardian's pain. However, she knew that he'd be alright. Being a warrior like her husband, Yue Xiang was also an expert healer and knew how to treat people without magic.

When they had completed the first set of bandages, she stopped upon hearing something like a whisper from the window. She turned to see only the sea in the distance. However, her sense of magic could tell there was a stirring, but her ability was so marginal at this point she couldn't tell.

She did, however, remember her mother warning her of the oceans. Though the king of the summoned monsters lived within the depths, he did not take to visitors kindly. In fact, there was no recorded summoner from Mist that ever was able to tame Leviathan. Everyone of them that tried to meet with the King of the Oceans had met their ends.

So... why was she hearing the ocean call to her?

* * *

Walking through the crowd in Baron's port, she was starting to feel that all these memories returning were not coinicidental.

However, the more important matter that needed attending to was to see Anthony Baigan regarding the deaths of the Royal Family. She had heard of the twins' suspicions of his involvement, but no proof was found.

She held no love for alleigience towards Baron, despite all that was offered to her by the state. However, she wouldn't allow the 'death' of her king to go unpunished by the guilty parties and with the Mysidian Seperatists taking the blame at the moment, she would take advantage of the goings on to find the truth... if she could find it.

No one stopped her entry into the castle, and found much of the remaining staff, along with new staff to replace those lost in the fire, cleaning up the remainder of the mess. She carefully walked past all the cleaning crews and up towards the king's bedroom.

Surely enough, there was Baigan, acting like it was meant to be his, speaking with a few members of the cleaning crew.

Noticing her presence, Anthony dismissed the other workers and approached her.

"Greetings, Lady Drake."

"Your highness," Rydia replied cordially, keeping a few more sordid phrases in the back of her mind.

"I apologize for the lack of pleasantries going on, but one can't expect to remain civil when one's own home is attacked."

"That's quite alright," she replied calmly. Wondering if he truly did have any hand in the fire.

"If I may, I wish to speak with you in private. On one of the higher turrets, preferrably."

"Very well." Rydia had a bad feeling about all of this and silently summoned Ifrit and with a mental command, had him hide in the shadows.

The walk was short and uneventful as they entered the empty walkway. The wind blew across the faltering banner of the Baronian nation as its new king and Rydia watched the town below.

"It all had happened so quickly. I wasn't sure whether the Cecil was nearby when the fire struck."

To Rydia's relief, he still wasn't aware that the Cecil was still alive. However, she had a feeling that Anthony wasn't exactly reluctant when the throne was 'offered' to him.

The only things she had heard about Anthony was his father and his role in Baron before and during Golbez's rule. Though loyal to the state, he was certainly not hesitant to point the finger at Cecil whenever there were charges of suspcion. If the twins had told her right, then the son of Baigan was not very different from his father. She was somehow not surprised when she learned that Baigan had conspired against the King of Baron with the promise of taking control once Cecil was dead.

She wisely kept this to herself as she asked, "And are you sure that the bomb was made in Mysidia?"

He turned to her, somewhat surprised that she did not adhere to the common knowledge of Mysidia's supposed guilt.

"As far as I know of, yes. Why do you ask?"

"Because... your highness," Rydia noted how odd and slightly disgusted it sounded calling him by said name, "I've been investigating the cause of this and I have reason to believe that there are forces in Baron itself that did this."

Anthony then frowned, and added with a warning tone, "Be careful, Lady Drake. Not too many people would be happy to hear a friend of Baron to speak ill of..."

Rydia interrupted with a frown of her own. "I have held no alleigiances to Baron in the past. If you recall, it was the state of Baron that ordered the summoners of Mist to be killed. I have never been, was, or will be what you call 'a friend of Baron'. I made an oath of loyalty to Cecil only. I suggest you keep that in mind, your highness."

The look that Anthony gave her was an odd one. "To Cecil you say? You make it sound much more than just a mere loyalty to his causes."

Rydia had a bad feeling where this was heading as her anger started to flare. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Anthony had a look upon his face that suggested innocence. "I said nothing to imply any such thing. It was an observation I've made upon your declaration of loyalty to our last king. In fact, one could even suggest that you were quite enamored with him..."

Again, Anthony was interrupted when Rydia's hand struck his cheek with little subltly. Her green eyes spoke volumes of how she wanted to see him fall off the side of the turret.

"How dare you! Such business is none of yours!"

Though angered that she struck him so blatantly, he soon calmed down. After a tense second, he bowed his head. "You are right, Lady Drake. It was none of my business to speculate. We all were quite fond of him and to see this happen was a tragedy."

She folded her arms and replied somberly, "Yes, it was. I intend to continue my search for the truth independantly. Again, I have reason to believe that it wasn't just Mysidia alone that's responsible for this. No matter how unpleasant the truth may be."

Anthony nodded once more and replied, "I wish you the best, Lady Drake."

Rydia nodded once more to him, turned and walked down the stairs leaving the new king of Baron to whatever designs he had in the back of his mind. However, she felt frustrated that she had been goaded so easily.

Walking down the hallway to the courtyard, she leaned against the wall, wondering exactly why her self-control was beginning to slip. It was only recently her tendancy to anger quickly had returned. What added to her frustration was how it was supposed to be Edge that was the tempermental one, not her.

* * *

Porom clutched her hand to her chest as she tried to settle her heart. The Black Chocobo was not a creature she got along with, even the tame ones. Considering the one she took enjoyed flying high was of no help to her acrophobia as well. However, now that she had reached the town of Branford, she could continue searching for the cause of whatever it was that was scaring the locals.

As the Head of the Mage Council, she had responsiblities, however, protocol crafted by the mages of Creasant was quite clear that they were to be active as possible in the community. Otherwise, they would become detached from the people they were supposed to serve and the destruction of their society would surely follow. She shook her head upon recollection of the Noble Houses. In fact, she wondered if Dakat and his ilk had even walked out of Mysidia before.

The hamlet she approached had only a few dozen houses connected to several large acres of farmland, once an unlivable swamp. The people here had taken great care to ensure that the land would last as long as possible so as to provide for themselves and families, while at the same time, giving the Mysidian Magocracy a usable export with other countries.

An older farmer, in well worn rags noticed her approach with the chocobo and called, "greeting, stranger. What brings you here?"

She nodded politely to him. "I heard there had been sightings of a Black Knight around these areas."

The older man's face lit up with apprehension. "Ah, yes. That one."

Following his lead to the small town square, she asked, "Could you tell me exactly what happened?"

The man looked to her for a moment, wondering if he should disclose what he knew or not. He closed his eyes and said in resignation, "lately, we have been getting some threatening messages from some of the men in the Noble Houses... I can't say which one. They are demanding that we give them a portion of the money we make simply by virtue of their... nobility."

She already had an idea as to whom exaclty it was that could be responbile. Ronan Heartily, though seemingly harmless, was actually quite the bully. He often resorted to brute force whenever he never got his way.

"Naturally, we refused. So, they started sending men to intimidate us. We still resisted. And then one day, when it seemed like they were ready to kill us all, he appeared..." Porom had to stop when the farmer had also stopped in his tracks. She looked around to see a fear in his eyes that few knew.

It was a fear she understood better than most thought. Cainazzo was a hideous sight and when he had nearly drowned her and her brother in Baron, she had a subconcious fear that followed her ever since.

"...the very air around him was cold," the man said as he began to shiver. "Not even that monster, Golbez held that much darkness around him."

Porom concentrated on the man's tale as he continued, despite his shivering. "The men from the Noble Houses tried to kill him. However, they saw his eyes, as did my wife and I... we couldn't move... and all we heard was his words as though he were passing judgment." He looked down to his quivering hand. "He drew his sword... it was like... like... it was made out of the thickest darkness you'd ever seen."

The Head of the Mage Council found herself at a loss for suspects. The Dark Knights of Baron were killed when they resisted Golbez. She remembered their dashed and bloodied corpses in the castle courtyard. Poor Cecil had known several of them and did everything he could to hold back his anguish for his friends.

Even Cecil's attempts to revive the Dark Knights were met in vain as no one wished to follow their fate. And she began to understand why.

"The Black Knight didn't just kill them. No." the man whispered, "the ground on which they stood and the soil for meters around was completely covered in their blood. They screamed, but you couldn't hear them scream. It was like their very souls were being smashed apart along with their bodies..."

Porom's eyes widened at the description of the sword's abilities. There was only one weapon she knew of that could do such a thing, and she saw it melt into nothing over thirty years ago!

Mortis, the Black Heart.

Details as to its creation were scarce, but rumor held that it was crafted from the hardest minerals from the bones of the Four Fiends; Lich, Kary, Kraken, and Tiamat. Fused with metals that could damage the soul, it became a feared weapon by any that used it. However, it always consumed its user in one way or another. Somehow, Cecil's innocence had protected him from the destructive nature of the weapon he unknowingly wielded. And when he ascended to the status of a Paladin, Mortis had met its end.

Impossible. Not even the master blacksmith that lived near Giott's kingdom could forge the materials needed to create that thing.

She grabbed the man's shoulders and asked him in urgency, "this can't be the truth, tell me you're just exaggerating!"

The fear in the old man's eyes killed any further argument. With nothing more to be gained on that subject, she asked, "did you see where he went when it was over?"

Knowing the subject was nearly completed, he pointed to the east and whispered, "do not try to follow him. He is beyond the law. You will only find your death if you wish to persue."

Letting go, she walkeed back to the entrance of the town with her chocobo in tow. "I must. It's my duty as a Wizardess of Mysidia." Her words, though tainted with fear, held the resolution she had to carry as the head of the Council.

She pulled herself upon her ride and ushered it east. Making sure it's altitude was kept low, she looked to the east, past the other few towns that had appeared over the years and to the expansive forest that would cover the foot of Mount Ordeals.

Porom kept her focus as the time flew by quicker than she would have liked. To face down an enemy with such a weapon was suicide and she was by herself no less. As the chocobo landed itself at the edge of the forest, she tied its reigns to a tree, yet kept it loose enough to make her escape quick enough it the need arose.

The midday sun was growing hotter by the minute and she was greateful for the shade as she began to traverse through the wood. Spreading out her sensitivity of magic, she could detect no sign of darkness that she could recognize. Though she was at a disadvantage when it came to combat, her white magic was nothing to ignore. All known white magic was at her command and she would not be caught unaware.

Disliking the lack of a path, she held onto a few stray branches as she marched further into the forest. Looking up, she noticed that the sun, still above her, was starting to grow dim. She had seen this happen during a solar eclipse some years ago, but the moon was nowhere to be seen.

It was then she realized her folly too late as she tried to turn and run. However, darkness had consumed the light around her and she could see nothing. She felt the heat from the summer vanish and replaced with a piercing cold.

"What business have you here?" a voice with a chill as painful as the darkness asked. It was deep and full, showing little compassion or humanity.

"I... I..." Porom studdered, trying to find a spell strong enough to disperse the darkness around her. As she remembered the correct one, she threw her arms up to the air and was about to send as much power as she could to dispel the magic around her. She was interrupted when the sharp side of a blade rested itself at her neck. She froze in place and the words with which to use the incantation died in her throat.

"I will not ask again... what is your business here?"

Gathering what little courage she had left, Porom whispered, "I... I search for... the truth..."

Almost considering her words, the owner of the voice responded calmly. "The truth is light and therefore, not here. You, the innocent, have no need for lies. Leave and never return."

She was about to ask why when the darkness suddenly crept away faster than she could see it vanish. Covered in cold sweat, she staggered as quickly as she could back to her chocobo. Mid every step, she used all her will power to keep from sobbing when she wanted to. She had never known this sort of fear, not just from the darkness or the voice, but the face her suspicions were true.

The Black Heart still existed. But who had it?

She looked back to the darker portions of the forest as she half-climbed upon the bird and, in spite of her shaking hands, cajoled it back to Mysidia. She needed to speak with her brother and the Council as soon as she could... once she recovered from this incident.

* * *

On the edge of Lunarian Moon, Golbez skimmed through the seventh book he had taken down from a shelf. It was only the first row of a massive library on magic the Lunarians had cataloged in a cavern, aptly named 'The Data Bank'. Upon the higher levels of the palace that stood as the only structure on the Lunarian Moon, the Data Bank and the entrance to the lower levels of the moon were the only signs of life on this artificial sphere. Aside from the stars from the many windows in the room he resided in, the only other source of light was a single sphere made of a substance alien to him, but commonplace to the Lunarians.

To his surprise, he had learned quite a bit about their history and where exactly they came from. Evidently, they were trying to not repeat the mistakes of their old homeworld. They eventually came to Earth, but knew to leave well enough alone until they were ready to reach into space like they did.

In addition, he was very impressed about the amount of detail they went into. Every particle of elemental energy, down to the number of the differing elements were cataloged and considered how inefficient his previous habits in magic were in comparison. However, as enthralling as it all was, he needed a certain set of spells to discover the discrepancies he had been feeling back on Earth. Though far in space, he would be able to make use of an amplifier the Lunarians had constructed and, if necessary, teleport himself through space and back to the Blue Planet.

"I don't understand, nephew. What is it you wish to find with these spells?" Golbez's uncle, FuSoYa muttered at the entrance to the Data Bank.

Not looking up to his father's brother, Golbez replied calmly, "I am not sure. That's what I am going to find out. I have a suspicion, but I have no proof."

FuSoYa began to stroke his beard. "Zemus."

Golbez closed another book, not finding what he needed as he put it back. "Correct. Ever since we went to sleep, that curse he spoke of has weighed on my mind more than I would have liked. And the fact that it may be affecting my brother does not bode well."

The elder cocked an eyebrow. "This is new. I never would have thought you would ever go so far for him."

Golbez turned an unpleasant eye towards his uncle. "Don't misunderstand me. Though there is much separating my brother and I, he is still my brother. That will never change."

The older man only smiled knowingly and nodded. "I shan't."

When he had left, Golbez sighed gratefully. He preferred to let his emotion be kept to himself. Most specifically, his feelings for his family. They were his business and his alone. Even the gentle chiding from FuSoYa could not allow them to come to light as he frowned at the bizarre sense of humor the old Lunarian had.

During some of their conversations, he had learned that he and Cecil derived quite a lot of their personalities from their father. Evidently, KluYa was also quite the humorless dotard. Turned out that the brothers were often quite at odds with each other in their younger years. It made him realize that he and Cecil were similar, in a way.

A sour frown grew on his face when the thought of said admission reaching FuSoYa's ears. He squashed the thought as soon as it appeared and returned to his studies. Now was hardly the time for musings on interpersonal idiosyncrasies.

He stood up and walked to one of the windows showing the infinite space outside. Through the darkness, he saw the light of the sun at the center of the system. The Lunarian Moon had moved far enough to stay in system, but not so close to make the people of the Blue Planet realize they had never left. He placed his palm on the glass and locked his gaze upon the world his brother still lived. It seemed so backward compared to where he lived now, but at the same time it seemed so peaceful, despite the chance that there would most likely be civil wars without a common foe for everyone to unite against.

For their sake, Golbez thought dispassionately, the people had best not forget what Cecil did.

* * *

"They have forgotten you," the echo hissed in his ear. That had been the straw that broke the chocobo's back for him as he decided to head to Baron for a day to prove the specter wrong.

Cecil, in disguise, had escaped from Mist after consistent taunting that his family was dead. He could not, nor would he believe it.

Under the cover of darkness, he traversed the cave to the city. Dressed as a traveler, he kept a cowl to hide his face as he moved through the crowds around the edges of the town. Though it appeared business was going as it usually did; there was a tense air all around in the afternoon. Night would come soon, but activity would still go.

Moving through the market district, he noticed several flyers speaking a single message.

_Burn the Mysidians the way they burned us!_

"Burned us?" Cecil mouthed as he moved through out of the market towards the castle. He knew he would never be able to gain entry to the castle, but he had learned that there were several hiding spots he often used to overhear the conversations of his people. Though it could be considered malignant, he had learned much about the temperament of his people and learned how to serve them accordingly.

Leaning against the wall of an alcove, he drew his knee up to his chest to give himself the allusion of taking a short nap as he listened the passing conversations of the people carefully.

One by one, his ears caught the gossip of groups of people moving slow enough for him to hear. The trick was waiting for the right conversations to pass and work accordingly. Then he would go to the town square and start asking questions.

"Are you sure? The cloth in the armor should have insulated out the heat."

"Yes. But you have to make sure the metal has the additional enchantments to give the user the extra defense."

Metalsmiths. The only thing that came to mind was some of the armor he had donated to their guild when the Crystal War ended. Letting that one go, he listened to a pair of middle class women that were on their way to run errands.

"As a matter of fact, you've met him," the first one noted haughtily.

"Oh, really?"

Cecil knew he didn't need to hear anymore as he turned his attention to a solider speaking with a Baronian Black mage. Their pace was much slower than the others.

"It was awful. The fires completely burnt most of the people there to nothing."

"The worst part was his highness of all people getting caught in it."

"I know... I doubt there'll be anyone like Cecil Harvey around these parts for a while. It sure doesn't do Baron any favors having a militant in charge now."

"You mean Baigan? Give me a break. He can try all he wants, he'll never be the previous king."

Cecil's jaw dropped and hung slack at what he just heard. But he was alive... and what about his children? What happened?

Then he recalled the poster and the first taunt of the echo. No. It couldn't be true! He got up and walked at a faster pace than he would have liked as he traversed through the town to the gravesite where the graves of the royal families lay. He pushed people out of his way, not knowing or caring of the indignant glares of those around him. His breath grew faster and deeper as time flew during his travels and it was all a blur when he finally made it to the large tree on the eastern edge of Baronian territory.

In front of him, there was a grave right next to Rosa's.

His name was written on it. The names of his three children and first grandchild were also written on additional stones nearby. His hands started to shake in complete horror of what he was witnessing. All of his children were gone...

Feeling weak, his knees buckled and he collapsed to the grass. Tears gathered in his eyes as he clenched the dirt and sniffed as the full brunt of reality had hit him.

"So you see... they have forsaken you," the echo whispered on the verge of visibility. "They take a new king in your place without question. The greed and corruption has overtaken your legacy. They have forgotten..."

When Cecil heard those words, something within him already had the answer, however the answer was something he would not have considered in the past. With the current events as they were, though, it was more applicable.

Standing up, Cecil looked to his hand and said back, "They will remember..."

"Yes," the echo concurred with a malicious undertone, "those who fail to heed the lessons of the past are doomed to repeat it. And only you would know how."

The look in Cecil's eyes darkened and he whispered, "Yes."

Turning away from the gravesite, he walked south as the mists of evening crept through the countryside. It wasn't long before Cecil's form was lost in the darkness.

The last remaining evidence of the echo's existence was its laughter and declaration of triumph. All was going according to plan.

End of chapter 6

* * *

Just a beginning note: No, Stealth Noodle, I haven't given up on this story. I was hit by a streak of block and boredom. However, things pass and so does the block! Woo! So, there's going to be a shorter interval for the next chapter.

Ok, first off. All I had to go by to judge for the Fabulian country was from the map and the names. So, I figured there had to be some kind of Chinese/German mixture. And, the most gasping and shocking of all, I gave Yang's wife a name! Cool, eh? Guess playing Dynasty Warriors has finally paid off.

Though I feel there's a little something extra needed for the Rydia and Baigan scene, I'm happy with it, unless one of you gentle reviewers tell me something that works good in my eyes.

Porom meets the Black Knight. Dude. Foreshadowing, man.

We're getting more Golbez action and a little backstory as to whom KluYa and FuSoYa are. Wow, that's an idea for a fic all by itself! Any takers?

Finally; the most controversial scene in this chapter, for the story for that matter. Which brings me into the next subject, what do you folks think? Let me know, please. I can take whatever you throw at me... really!

Finally; all things Final Fantasy belongs to Squareenix. You know the drill. The money goes to them, not me.


End file.
